John The Deliverer

by Rhiannon Neeley

  * * * *

  Maddie hurried toward the parking lot and her car, reflecting that going home to an empty house was a letdown after the excitement of the parade. All she had at home to greet her was Tinker, her cat. It really was time for her to find some male companionship, especially given her reaction to that tall, dark stranger. Well, the hayride was coming up. Perhaps she would meet someone there.

  * * * *

  Maddie fished her keys from her jeans pocket and turned into the parking lot. A single dim light attached to the back of the bank barely lit a portion of the parking lot and she nervously hurried forward. She was halfway to her car when she saw a pinpoint of fire flicker to life in the darkness.

  Maddie stopped. The flame moved. Someone lighting a cigarette.

  He was there. Leaning against the front of her car. Waiting for her.

  Maddie swallowed, backed up a step and looked frantically behind her. No one was in sight. Not even a car passed on the street behind. Heart pounding in her ears, Maddie adjusted her car keys in her hand so the keys' ends stuck out between her fingers. Intriguing as the dark stranger had appeared as he had stood across the street after the parade, here alone in the darkness was something else.. Warily, nervously, Maddie walked toward her car, her mouth dry. There can't be anything to worry about, she told herself. This was River Bend. Nothing ever happened here. He was just a guy. 'Yeah, a dangerous looking guy,' a voice in her head warned.

  "Can I help you?" she said. Her voice bounced back at her from the sides of the building.

  The dark stranger shifted position, the sound of leather creaking with his movements. He drew on his cigarette. "Ms. Woods," he said, in a voice so deep it washed over her in a rumble.

  Maddie shivered. She sensed danger, but the feeling was so ... delicious. From deep within, Maddie's wild side begin to emerge as she continued moving toward the car. Anyone in his or her right mind would have turned back, ran for a place with more light ... more people. But not Maddie. This dark stranger was drawing her in. She wanted--no, needed--to find out more about him. As she moved closer, she caught his scent . He smelled of the woods. Pines and wild things. Then, she was standing in front of him, well within his reach..

  The dark stranger stood still for a moment, then dropped his cigarette and ground it out on the pavement with the toe of his boot.

  Maddie breathed him in as he towered over her, his face in shadow. Warmth spread through her, moving through her veins. "Who are you?" Maddie finally whispered.

  "I am Raven." He raised his hand toward her.

  Maddie stepped back, caution kicking in.

  "Don't be afraid," he said, stepping toward her. His hand, strong and firm, rose toward her face Maddie felt the urge to step toward him. She fought it, warning bells sounding in her brain.

  With one finger, Raven stroked her cheek. "You have nothing to fear from me," he said quietly.

  Maddie closed her eyes, reveling in the heat his touch lit within her. No, she warned herself, don't be drawn in. With a violent shake of her head, she opened her eyes. Raven's hand dropped from her face. "Why are you here? Are you following me?" Maddie asked. Without waiting for an answer, Maddie moved to the driver's side of her car, suddenly wanting to be inside, where it was safe, away from this Raven. She had no idea who he was or where he came from; in fact, had never seen him before. But ... still, he was familiar.

  "I'm interested in you, Ms. Woods. The real you. Not the one you're trying to be."

  Maddie's gaze snapped to his face. What did he know about the 'real' Maddie?

  Standing on the passenger side of the car, Raven's head and shoulders were visible over the roof of the car and the dim light on the side of the building lit his face. But it was his eyes that made Maddie gasp. His eyes were dark, black as night. Mysterious. Exciting.

  Dangerous.

  Maddie scanned the planes of his face. He had strong features, chiseled cheekbones, a perfectly formed nose, a full very kissable mouth. His skin was smooth, giving no hint of his age. Framed by his long dark hair, his face melted her insides. as Maddie braced herself with her hand on the window of the driver's door before her knees gave way.. The glass was cold under her palm. "My God," she whispered. This man was beautiful and menacing at the same time. Just looking at him caused her blood to heat and pool down low in her belly. Maddie swallowed. Hard. "I'm sorry ... I have to go."

  "Don't," he said, his eyes boring into hers.

  Maddie hesitated. No, no, no. She could not even consider this. Quickly, she unlocked her car door and opened it. "I'm sorry but I don't know you. And I really have to go."

  Raven placed his hand on the top of the car. "You must listen to me."

  Maddie shook her head. "No. You'll have to excuse me." She hurriedly slid into the car and shut the door. She bent to insert the key into the ignition and when she looked up, Raven stood directly in front of the car, his eyes burning at her through the windshield. Maddie bit her lip and started the car. Carefully she backed out of the space, the car's headlights throwing Raven into stark relief. Maddie was again shaken by his dangerous beauty.

  Before she could do something stupid, like invite him home with her, Maddie pulled out of the parking lot. Shaking from reaction now, Maddie shook her head as she drove through the familiar streets of River Bend. What was wrong with her? She had really taken a chance back there. Yet all the way home, the image of Raven standing in front of the car flickered through her mind, sending an almost-forgotten excitement through her whole body; kindling a flame that made her literally ache with desire.

  * * * *

  Raven watched as Madison Woods pulled away and drove off into the night. His body was tense from the effort of controlling his urge to sweep the woman into his arms and ravage her right then and there. Maybe he shouldn't have reached out and touched her with his mind. Maybe he shouldn't have whispered her name against her ear, or sent his psychic touch to trail down her delicate neck as she sat up on that trailer.

  Shrugging his shoulders, Raven walked toward the street, trying to relieve some of the tension that had formed inside him since first laying eyes on Madison Woods. He was thankful for the concealing darkness of the night.

  It sheltered him. Hands in the pockets of his coat, Raven walked the deserted streets of River Bend, surveying the small town atmosphere of the place. It wasn't so unlike where he came from. It brought back memories of home, but all those memories were not good ones. Especially the memory of his mother crying over the news of his father's death.

  He shouldn't have approached Madison, he realized. Nor should he have warned her. That was not the plan. He was only here to observe, nothing more. It didn't matter if Devlin wanted the woman delivered directly to him. Raven had other plans.

  And that was dangerous.

  Devlin Morse had sent him here to watch her, find out where she had gained her information, and report back to him. Then Devlin would tell Raven whether or not to bring her directly to him. If Raven didn't complete his assignment, his brother Eric would pay the price.

  But he had already screwed up. It was that underlying wildness in her that drew him. A powerful spark that she was desperately trying to damp down. He knew it was because of her family that she was trying to change. He had known as soon as he had touched her mind she was trying to be something she wasn't. It was that part of her that tugged at him. Raven knew what it was to be loyal to your family. But being loyal didn't mean changing who you were.

  Raven walked on, letting the night breeze cool him from the heat of being in Maddie's presence. The sidewalks now were lined with tall trees, their leaves glimmering muted color in the moonlight. The scent of autumn assailed him. Crisp and clear, he breathed it in, savoring it.

  He shouldn't have touched her. Touching her had made him want to touch her again and bring that wildness in her back to the surface. And reading her feelings, Raven knew it wouldn't take much to make her his. She had wanted him, had savored his touch. Her own desire had made him a
che with the urge to quell the fire inside her. But he couldn't let himself get sidetracked. Not now. Not when Eric depended on him.

  If he didn't find out what he came here to find, the Clutch would retaliate against Eric. Then they would come after Raven.

  That would put The Unkindness in jeopardy.

  Raven paused in front of a house to light a cigarette. As he drew on the cigarette, allowing the smoke to roll over his tongue, he gazed through the living room window to the inside of the house. A middle-aged woman approached a couch and leaned down, disappearing from view. When she reappeared, she held a small child in her arms. The child was sound asleep.

  Raven exhaled the smoke, turned away from the heartening scene, and walked on into the night.

  * * * *

  It had been a long day and Maddie was bone tired as she let herself in the front door and flicked on the living room light. "Tinker?" she called, dropping her keys on the end table and kicking off her shoes. Maddie heard a tinkling bell moving down the hallway in her direction, then her gray tabby bounded around the corner. Maddie scooped him up and lovingly scratched him behind his ears while he purred his delight. "It's just you and me again tonight, Tink, my boy," she said, nuzzling his head. She went to her bedroom, dropped Tinker on the bed, and got ready for bed herself. She needed to put an end to this day and clear her mind. Exhaustion set in from the excitement and stimulation of the day. Capping it off, the confrontation with her 'dark stranger' had been unnerving, to say the least.

  Clothed in her nightgown and teeth brushed, Maddie crawled into bed, burrowed under the covers and turned off the light. Tinker curled up at her feet, settling himself in for the night. Maddie closed her eyes against the darkness of her room and let her mind drift.

  Thoughts of the dark stranger--Raven--drifted through her mind, refusing to leave. His image burned behind her eyelids, sending a sensuous heat flowing through her. Maddie arched her neck against her pillow, wishing Raven were with her, his hot breath trailing down her neck. His fingers had seared her skin with only that one touch. As she thought about what his touch would do to the rest of her body, Maddie stretched on the bed, frustration setting in. A light sheen of sweat broke out on her skin and hot, moist heat settled between her legs as she fell into a fitful sleep of desire. As Maddie began to dream, she moaned in her sleep, her hands clutching the sheets. In the dream, Raven's long fingered hands roamed over her body, searing her with his heat. As his fingers delved inside of her, Maddie was afire with the need to fill herself with this dark, mysterious stranger. The cat looked on as Maddie, in the depths of this incredible dream, whimpered and writhed on the bed. Yet even as she savored the feel of this dream stranger's hands upon her heated skin, even as she gasped while being drawn deeper into her fantasy, the question nagged. What was it about Raven that was so familiar? Had made him seem so dangerous?

  And oh, so enticing.

  Chapter Two

  Maddie awoke the next morning to a room filled with bright sunlight. Stretching, she nudged Tinker with her foot. The cat eyed her angrily as Maddie kicked her way out of the tangled bedsheets. "Some of us can't sleep all day," she said, rising from the warmth of her bed.

  As she headed toward the kitchen, however, the dream from the night before hit her full force, a dream that had left her frightened and aching with need. "Yeah, you're hot and bothered because you haven't gotten lucky in a while, that's all," she told herself as she banged around in the kitchen, preparing her first cup of coffee for the day. But she couldn't kid herself. The dream had been real enough to make her want more. Almost angrily, Maddie shook her head. Time to start the day and forget about wet dreams of dark strangers.

  As Maddie waited for the coffee pot to finish brewing, she gazed out the kitchen window. The day was bright and sunny, the multi-colored leaves on the trees sparkled in the sun. Maddie was looking forward to some company. Leah Steel, her best friend from school was due to arrive in an hour. Leah, manager of the town's bookstore Cover to Cover, had been her sole supporter during the hard times when Maddie had attended college. Leah had also been her biggest cheerleader when Maddie had begun sending When Glory Came Home to publishers. Throughout it all, Leah had had complete faith that Maddie would be published.

  Maddie smiled now as she poured her cup of coffee. She didn't know what she would have done without Leah to lean on through those rough few years. Now that she had her life straightened out and lived a staid normal existence, Leah was her sounding board. She couldn't wait to tell Leah about the dark stranger, Raven. She had to tell someone or she was going to burst. With a sip of strong coffee, she headed for the shower. It was a brand new day and she had things to prepare.

  * * * *

  Raven awoke. As his eyes scanned the dark hotel room, he remembered. River Bend, Ohio. That's where he was. And he was here to find out just how much Madison Woods knew about the Clutch.

  In measured movements, Raven rose from the bed and moved to the heavy drapes that covered the single window. With a long finger, he moved the drapes aside, just enough to peer out. Sunlight seared his eyes. He let the drapes fall back into place, keeping out the blazing light.

  Raven ran his hands through his hair, brushing it back over his shoulders. He hadn't slept well. Dreams of Madison had assailed him throughout the night.

  The day before, Raven had touched her mind briefly when he had whispered in her ear but he hadn't delved too deeply, then. Later, while at her car, Raven knew she wanted him but holding herself in check. Denying herself. That denial had made Raven itch to touch her.

  Raven blew out a shaky breath. His strong attraction to Madison had encouraged him to visit her mind while she slept. He could still feel the heat from the encounter even if it was only a meeting of minds.

  Raven growled at himself. He had to get his mind off Maddie and back on the business at hand. It would be hours before he could go outside, but he had work to do anyway. He needed to get in touch with Dirk, find out if there were any new developments concerning the Unkindness.

  The Unkindness of Ravens.

  Raven swiped a hand across his jaw, feeling the night's stubble on his chin. The Unkindness had existed for more than one hundred years, had always existed in John Raven's eyes. The Unkindness was the only thing standing between life as the world knew it and the destruction that would come if the Raven Family didn't do its job. And its job was to rid the world of the Clutches of the Horde.

  The Horde of Vampires.

  Raven moved to his suitcases and retrieved his laptop computer.

  The Horde of Vampires had existed longer than the Unkindness. The Horde was divided into Clutches, with each Clutch having a leader. Devlin Morse was the leader of the Clutch they were attempting to now eradicate. Raven placed the laptop on the small table beside the bed and connected it to the phone line. For the first time in his life, his hands shook as he considered the situation.

  Devlin had Eric. And Devlin wanted to know where Madison Woods had obtained information about vampires that had allowed her to write such a true-to-life book. If Raven didn't find out what Devlin wanted to know, Eric would pay the price.

  Raven and Eric had worked as a team ever since he could remember. When their father was killed, the Unkindness ruled that all Ravens work in teams of two so they could watch each other's back. This was the first time one of them had been put in jeopardy. Raven turned on the laptop and waited for it to boot up.

  He and Eric had infiltrated Devlin's Clutch by telling Devlin their own Clutch had been destroyed and they needed to team up with Devlin to secure their existence as vampires. Devlin Morse knew of the Unkindness. All of the Clutches did. They just didn't know who the Unkindness actually was.

  Raven accessed his personal code and sent off an email to Dirk, asking if there were any new developments. Then he sat back in his chair and thought about what transpired the night before.

  He had walked for hours after his meeting with Madison Woods, wondering about her. Any other woman w
ould have run from him in that parking lot. Raven knew his appearance was startling. But he needed to be taken that way, needed to project the image of someone who should be feared.

  But Madison hadn't feared him.

  Just thinking of her intense gaze as she approached him in the darkness without hesitation made him hard with lust for her, even now. This wasn't good. He had to keep his mind on the matter at hand. Find out where she had gotten her information.

  Madison's book, 'When Glory Came Home', had been released just three weeks earlier and Claire, the only female member of Devlin's Clutch, had read it. Although the book had been released as a romance, Claire had taken it straight to Devlin after reading it. There were too many similarities to real vampires, meaning this woman, Madison Woods, knew too much about their existence. The idea had made Devlin very uncomfortable.

  After Devlin had read the book, he had sent John Raven to check out the woman. When Raven had asked why, Devlin had only smiled that evil smile of his and said "Why, because you are the embodiment of the hero in the book."

  But Raven had not understood until he had read the book himself. The hero in Madison's book was an exact replica of himself.

  Strange.

  The laptop beeped. A message from Dirk, his younger brother. Dirk, who was also worried sick about Eric.

  Raven read it quickly, then deleted it. There were no new developments concerning Devlin's Clutch. They were staying hidden, underground. No word from Eric, either.

  Not good news.

  Raven disconnected the laptop and settled himself into the chair, crossing his hands in his lap. His eyes closed and he rested.

  It would be a while before he could make an appearance.

  It would be a while before sundown.