Savage Bayou (Things that go Bump in the Bayou Book 2)

by Alizabeth Lynn

  “No,” she repeated softly, her tone lighter – breathier – interested. “Kiss me, Daniel.”

  And when his lips finally pressed against hers, she found the light in the darkness of her heart.

  Chapter Eleven

  Back in the kitchen a short time later, Ophelia second-guessed everything.

  Daniel placed his hand over hers where they stood at the counter. “Why don’t you come to dinner with me tonight. We can discuss what we’re going to do next.”

  Ophelia shook her head. “No, Daniel. You need to leave.”

  “That’s not what it felt like in your hallway.”

  She sighed. “A momentary lapse in judgement.” At Daniel’s shocked look, she sighed. “Look, it’s nearly three in the morning. Besides, I already told you I’m not interested. Not in your company, not in your conversation, and not in you.”

  Daniel tried for an engaging smile. “I never bite on the first date—which I think I proved with the kiss you’re choosing to ignore.”

  Ophelia crossed her arms over her chest, his words ringing with uncomfortable truth. “I said no. Now go home. Leave me alone.”

  Daniel’s foot tapped impatiently against the floor, and he narrowed his eyes. “Look, Phia, it’s dinner, not a week in Tahiti. I’m not asking for your undying love, or even another kiss—just a business meeting over pizza with a fucking chill pill on the side. We just killed a couple of vampires for crying out loud!”

  Ophelia blinked. "I—"

  He held up a hand. "You know what? Just...don't. Never mind. I thought you might be able to shelve your prejudice for your friend, but I can tell that's not going to happen. And maybe that kiss was a mistake." He looked down at her, eyes shielded by long lashes, as he frowned. "Carissa and Aden both thought more of you than this, but I see they were wrong." He touched his temple in a small salute. "Good luck, Phia. You're going to need it."

  Long after he walked away, Ophelia stood out on her front porch, staring up at the moon. Clearly, he didn't understand anything. I’m trying to protect him for God's sake! Doesn’t anyone see what I’m trying to do? The conversation she’d overheard while he was on his phone was irrelevant.

  Her conversation with her aunt flashed through her mind again, and she sighed. Maybe Aunt Janice was right. Maybe Daniel was her best bet, and she was pushing him away for no reason. And face it, that was one hell of a kiss! Jeremiah's face entered her mind's eye, and she shook her head. No. She was doing the right thing. She had to be.

  Cursing under her breath, Ophelia went inside to grab her purse, and stomped back outside and down the front steps. She slung her purse from her shoulder into the passenger seat as she opened the door to her truck. She'd show him. Mr. High and Mighty Vampire. She didn't need him, anyway. Her phone chimed the tone of an incoming text, and she almost ignored it. But it might be him. Cursing again, she snatched it from the cluttered depths of her purse and brought up the message, her heart thumping to an audible stop as she read the words that flashed across the screen.

  Meeting in fifteen minutes. The usual place. Be there.

  Ophelia dropped her phone into the cup holder in her center console. Well, there went her night, and her half-formed plan to investigate things on her own. I guess it was a good thing I made him leave, she thought. How exactly would I explain this?

  Slamming one hand on the steering wheel hard enough to bruise, she turned the keys, but even the comforting roar of the engine did nothing to dispel the growing dread in the pit of her stomach. It was time to do her job—the one part that would almost certainly end up getting her killed.

  Daniel watched Ophelia pull out of her driveway and turn toward Main Street. Cautiously, he slipped Sean’s borrowed van into drive and followed.

  Ophelia stared at the five men surrounding the table. Each one was worse than the last. Gavin, Jeremiah’s right hand and torture expert, sat to his left. Next to him sat Craven, a man who’d begun his tutelage under their sorcerer, Myrick, and was sent to work magick for the Vampire Council. To Jeremiah’s right were two vampires she didn’t know, but they were burly and looked like they could each lift a Mack truck without straining. She clasped her hands behind her back to still their quaking and desperately wished she’d been allowed to sit.

  Jeremiah sat forward, his eerie ice-blue eyes gleaming. “I hear you and your vampire friend were at the Barnwell Center last night. You killed two of my crew.”

  Ophelia took a deep breath. Of course, he would know about that. “Yes, I was there. Meredith died at my hand, and Bruce by Daniel’s.” She locked eyes with Jeremiah, staring him down with a look of forced bravado—he didn’t have to know she wasn’t scared of him. “And I won’t apologize for my actions.”

  Jeremiah answered with his half smile, twisted at the left corner, just like his personality. “I could always have you killed.”

  Anger flared at his words. Her power thrummed to burning life behind her furious stare. She spread her arms wide, palms upward. She had a better grasp of her power after last night, and Jeremiah wouldn’t like what she now knew she could do. “Give it a shot if you think you can,” she told him with a smirk.

  Gavin rose to his feet. “I wouldn’t speak to us like that if I were you,” he sneered.

  Ophelia’s smile widened. A faint green light surrounded her body, pulsing as the palms of her hands grew warm. Flames sprouted from the warmth, surrounding her hands in orbs of fire. She raised an eyebrow at Jeremiah’s crony.

  “You were saying, Gavin? You might be able to kill me. There are more of you, after all, but I’ll be taking some of you down with me. So, go ahead and try it. I dare you.”

  Jeremiah reached up and placed a hand on the sleeve of Gavin’s shirt. He shook his head in disagreement. “Admirable as your words are, if anyone is going to kill her, it’s going to be me.” Gavin nodded as the elder vampire’s gaze shifted back to Ophelia. “Stand down, little girl. It just so happens that you did exactly what I hoped you’d do.”

  Ophelia gasped. Daniel had been right once again. “You played me,” she seethed. The flames expanded until the two vampires closest to her shrank back from the heat.

  Fangs grazed Jeremiah’s bottom lip as his mouth curled. “I did, indeed, and I hear your performance was something to see.” His shoulders twitched in some semblance of a shrug. “Meredith was a thorn in my side, and I wanted her gone. To have her death carried out by your hand only made the victory that much sweeter. She likely had no idea she’d been set up until the moment she gasped her last. It does an old man’s heart proud.”

  Furious, Ophelia swung her right hand around, pointing her forefinger at Jeremiah. “You. Played. Me.” She enunciated every word with all the care and precision of a veteran marksman. An angry spurt of fire shot from her finger. It exploded against the wall just over the vampire’s shoulder, showering him with singed chips of paint and plaster.

  “Do it again, and my aim will improve,” she ground out. “Don’t forget: I have something you want just as much as I want you to free my mother.”

  Jeremiah’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes widened in an unmistakable show of fear. One of the men that moved away raised his hand. Jeremiah blinked and cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, Craven?”

  The younger man narrowed his blue eyes and squared his shoulders as if he was preparing to say something he might regret. He hadn’t spoken during any other meetings, so Ophelia had no idea what to expect. Craven’s eyes flickered in her direction before returning to Jeremiah’s. He cleared his throat.

  “Perhaps it would be prudent to place a guard with her at night.”

  “And would you be volunteering?” Jeremiah asked.

  Craven jerked his left shoulder, unconcerned. “If that’s the course of action you’d like to take.”

  Jeremiah sat back, appearing to consider his words. He tapped a bony finger against his chin. The silence stretched on, minute after minute. Ophelia’s unease grew with every tick-tock of the clock on the wall. If the
y placed a guard with her, she and Daniel would lose any kind of advantage they could have. Spying would be next to impossible.

  Ophelia took a deep breath and forced her power to retreat. The green light flashed bright for a split second as the flames dwindled down to nothing. One more brief flash, and the light disappeared altogether. She lowered her hands to her sides, smoothed her expression into one of patient waiting, and silently prayed.

  Jeremiah’s gaze drifted around the room before returning to Ophelia. “There’s not a person in this room that I don’t trust–” he paused and inclined his head toward her– “except for you.”

  Ophelia cursed silently. He looked entirely too happy with himself. This wouldn’t be good.

  Jeremiah chuckled as he stared her down. “Yes, Craven, I think a guard would be a good idea.”

  Craven nodded his acceptance. “Yes, sir. I’ll keep a very close eye on her for you.”

  He grinned lewdly at Ophelia. She grimaced, but kept her mouth shut. Arguing now would only make things worse.

  Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed. “Look with your eyes, but keep your hands to yourself. I need her…unsullied by those of our order.” Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as he continued, returning his attention to her, “Now, for your next assignment, Ophelia…” He waited until her gaze locked on his.

  “Sir?” she snarled.

  His lips curled, leaving his fangs gleaming in the overhead light. “Bring me Ryker’s killer. I want pretty little Carissa’s head on a platter.”

  Anger sparked, literally, as heated flashes flew from her fingertips. “No way in hell, you bastard. I know who really killed him. I may lead the pack into your trap, but I won’t bring her along. Forget it.”

  Jeremiah snapped his fingers. Gavin and the unknown man immediately to Jeremiah’s right jumped to their feet. “I could make you,” Jeremiah said silkily. “I have ways. When they were done with you, you’d be begging to do whatever I wanted you to do for me.”

  “I’d kill myself, first,” Ophelia spat with a lift of her chin. “If that’s how you want to play, you’ll never have what you want from me.”

  “You happen to be right about that.” Jeremiah gestured for his men to sit, which they did with a lot of grumbling and cursing under their breath. “Fine. Bring me Daniel before the next full moon, and I’ll give you your mother.”

  Ophelia licked her lips nervously. “And if I refuse?”

  Jeremiah’s lips twitched, his eyes glowing with madness. “Then I’ll kill you both, and neither of us get what we want.”

  Ophelia closed her eyes briefly. Daniel was already mad at her, and now she was going to make things worse. Please forgive me. “Okay.”

  Jeremiah laughed loudly. “Good.” He turned his attention back to Gavin. “Let the others in. Ophelia can take her seat at my right, and our main meeting can commence. I have a good feeling about this…”

  Daniel stood in the shadows against the outer wall of the run-down warehouse. After watching Ophelia park her truck and walk inside, he’d returned less than a mile down the highway to an abandoned dirt road, where he parked his van in the trees. He couldn’t hear the words spoken through the thick walls, but he could make out the tones, and he knew something wasn’t right. He just prayed that whatever happened, he wouldn’t hear Ophelia scream.

  The official meeting began an hour later. Jeremiah still sat at the head of the long metal table, Gavin, his assistant, to his left, but Ophelia replaced the unknown vampire to his right. Various other vampires and a smattering of werewolves filled the other sides of the table, with still more lining the walls. Ophelia kept her eyes downcast. They all knew she didn't want to be there, but they also knew she was on their side.

  A gong sounded, vibrating the table as it brought the meeting to order. All eyes turned to Ophelia, but none so detested as the man to her left.

  "News, Sorceress," Jeremiah said, his soft voice about as pleasant as hot coals on an open wound. "What are the rebels planning? Where are they hiding the pack that let your vampire kill Ryker?"

  Ophelia raised her eyes, then, meeting his gaze head on. She knew what she had to say. "Getting to them will be next to impossible. They have the pack under constant guard, but their plans will be easier to circumvent." Her fingers flexed as her chin lifted in challenge. "I'm their plan."

  Chapter Twelve

  Ophelia didn’t know how she made it home without getting into an accident. Her eyes were clouded with tears. They streamed down her cheeks to soak her shirt and drip into her lap. She’d only known Daniel a few days, but the more she considered, the more she knew her aunt had been right. Especially after that kiss—and then she’d been such a bitch to him. But, if she was honest with herself, he was her vampire, and she could no longer picture her life without him in it.

  “I’m screwed,” she muttered.

  Delivering Daniel into a trap was out of the question, but she couldn’t sign her mother’s death warrant, either. No matter what she chose, someone was going to die. She inhaled deeply and dashed the tears from her face with an impatient hand. There was only one thing to do: She needed to tell Daniel the truth tonight, before Craven began his guard duty. Steeling her resolve against the inevitable – she was about to make things worse – Ophelia pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed his number before she could change her mind.

  “Hey,” she said without preamble. “I need you to come over for a minute. We need to talk.”

  If Daniel was surprised, his voice gave nothing away. “I’ll be right over.”

  The line went dead, sending her heartbeat into overdrive. Already the thought of seeing her betrayal reflected in his eyes hurt terribly, but there was no other option. She couldn’t live with herself if she set him up. She closed her eyes and laid her head on her steering wheel, not moving until Daniel announced his arrival by tapping on her window.

  Ophelia climbed out without meeting his eyes. “We should go inside to talk. Aunt Janice is in bed, so we shouldn’t be a bother.”

  “Okay.” He placed a gentle hand on her arm. “And then you’ll tell me what’s wrong?”

  Ophelia nodded, not questioning how he knew. “I will.”

  She led the way inside with halting steps, carelessly dropping her purse onto the kitchen table as she made her way to the counter. She kept her back to him as she began her confession.

  “I went to Jeremiah’s meeting tonight.”

  Her back heated as he closed the distance between them. Daniel’s arms were solid and tense as he circled her waist and drew her up against his chest. Even a day before, Ophelia would have pushed him away, but not tonight. Greedy and selfish though it might be, she wanted him. As much as she could have him.

  “I know,” he murmured. His lips brushed against her ear as he spoke, and she shuddered. “I didn’t think you’d listen if I asked you not to. You weren’t exactly listening to anything else I said, either.”

  Ophelia smiled sadly. “Yeah, well, you can say ‘I told you so.’ It didn’t go well at all. Actually, it went a lot worse than I was expecting.”

  Daniel’s arms tightened around her waist. “They want you to kill someone?”

  “Not exactly,” she hedged.

  Daniel’s hands flexed on her hips as he turned her gently around to face him. Her tongue darted out to moisten her bottom lip, and she watched his eyes darken with interest. God, how I want this man! She squeezed her eyes shut. If she was smart, she’d pull away and tell him the truth immediately—no more lies, no more games, and no more false hope. Once the necessary words left her lips, all chance of a relationship, or even a friendship, would be lost. He’d never be able to forgive her for offering him up on a proverbial silver platter.

  One of Daniel’s large hands pressed against her cheek. She opened her eyes, raising her gaze to his. Bright blue and mesmerizing, his eyes glowed in an unmistakable show of desire. Ophelia sucked in a breath, prepared to say something. She didn’t know what she wo
uld say, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t give her the chance to speak.

  Daniel leaned down, and his lips captured hers, stealing the breath she’d taken. Ophelia hesitated for the briefest of seconds, but when his tongue swept against her lips, seeking entrance, she gave in. Her arms encircled his neck, her fingers twining in his soft hair. Tongues danced and teeth nipped as she took everything he chose to give, to hell with the consequences. She would have this moment before she blew everything to kingdom come.

  Ophelia moaned deep in her throat—the sound of assent as Daniel’s hands grazed her ribs under the front of her blouse. His thumbs brushed against the underside of her breasts, and she melted, sinking into his embrace when her legs threatened to give out. With a moan of his own, Daniel pulled back, his eyes twin points of luminescent blue intent on her face.

  “I want you,” he whispered.

  Tears sprang to her eyes again. Ophelia cupped his cheek and leaned back. Trying to ignore the hurt in Daniel’s eyes was next to impossible, but she did try. He dropped his hands without saying a word. The fading light in his eyes said all she needed to know. He knew something was wrong. A tear escaped, unchecked, from her eye. She took a deep breath and steeled her heart against Daniel’s inevitable rejection.

  “I need to say I’m sorry, first,” Ophelia said softly. “I know there’s no excuse for my actions. I admitted that I went to that meeting, but that wasn’t the worst. Jeremiah already knew about the vampires we killed.”

  Ophelia attempted to take another step away when Daniel’s eyes flashed angrily. Her backside hit the counter, preventing her retreat. She frowned and shook her head.

  “It would have done me no good to lie, so I admitted to what we’d done.”

  Daniel sucked in a breath. “What?”

  “Jeremiah set me up. He wanted me to kill Meredith. Bruce was collateral damage, but acceptable to Jeremiah if I got her out of his hair. Jeremiah orchestrated it all, from the information you received, to what we overheard. We were fucking pawns, and because of it, I’ve been forced to agree to something you won’t be able to forgive me for.”