John The Deliverer

by Rhiannon Neeley

  Finally, when almost everyone had left, Leah grabbed Maddie's elbow and drew her aside.

  "Who is he?"

  Maddie shook her head. "He's the guy from last night."

  "The guy from the parking lot?" Leah was astounded.

  Maddie nodded, then glanced in Raven's direction. He was standing just inside the doorway, his eyes on her. Maddie looked away quickly, feeling the warmth spread in her stomach. A few of the women looked longingly at him as they passed him on their way out. But Raven ignored them..

  "Do you think he's dangerous?" Leah asked, seeing her friend's reaction.

  "I don't think so," Maddie said slowly as she started packing her briefcase. At least not in the way Leah thinks, Maddie added to herself. Maddie wasn't afraid of him--she was afraid of what she might do if she were alone with him.

  "Well, I think I'll leave you two alone then," Leah said quickly. She flashed her a wave and started out the door.

  Maddie started to call after her but caught herself. She didn't want to give Raven the impression she was afraid of him. Instead, she busied herself with the briefcase, hoping Raven would leave without her.

  No such luck. "Can I help you with that?" he asked. Maddie jumped at the sound of his voice and at the fact he had suddenly appeared, right behind her. She turned to look up into his face, struck again by its beauty.

  "Ah, no. I think I've got it." she said, almost absently.

  Before he could respond, a bright flash of light illuminated the room.

  Raven's face darkened as his eyes scanned the room.

  Maddie looked around also. Someone had taken their picture. That's what the flash of light had been. But there was no one in the room with them. "That was strange," she said.

  Raven held her coat for her. "Come. We should go."

  Maddie allowed him to help her into her coat. "You don't have to walk me to my car or anything."

  "Yes. I do." He took her elbow and escorted her to the door.

  "You really don't have to...," Maddie began. They were already through the door and moving down the steps.

  "It's not a problem," Raven said as they continued down the steps. "You never know what kind of characters you'll meet when you're alone in the dark. Especially so close to Halloween."

  Maddie stiffened. He was either making fun of her or threatening her. She wasn't sure which. She silently wished Leah would have stayed and gone home with her.

  When they reached the sidewalk, Maddie pulled her arm from his grasp. "Look," she said, her stomach churning, "I don't know who you are but I don't need an escort. Not in River Bend."

  "John," he said.

  "What?"

  He reached out and took her hand, raising it to his lips. "My name is John Raven. I told you last night." Then, he turned her hand over and brushed his lips across her palm. "You may call me Raven."

  Maddie shivered, a rush of heat coursing through her body at the touch of his lips on her sensitive palm. What would those lips feel like against her other sensitive places? she thought. Slowly, he released her hand, but her body still trembled from the reaction.

  "Come," he said. "You're getting chilled." He started down the sidewalk without her.

  Oh, honey, that shiver had not been because I'm cold, she thought. Then she blinked. What was going on here? "You know," she said, following him, "For all I know, Mr. John Raven, you're just some guy who decided to dress up like the character in my book for Halloween."

  Raven whirled to face her, danger in his eyes. "I would hardly 'dress up' for Halloween. I have no need to."

  Maddie stopped an arm's length away. She knew from his look she was treading on thin ice. But damn, who did this guy think he was? And why was she so attracted to him? "How do I know that?" she asked, baiting him further.

  In a blur of darkness, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. Maddie dropped her briefcase as his arms wrapped around her, crushing her to his massive chest. She looked up into his eyes, his dark mysterious eyes, and felt a tickle of fear slither down her spine.

  They were so close, Maddie could feel his chest move against her breasts as he breathed. His breath caressed her mouth as they stood immobile in the embrace.

  The next second, his lips found hers, devouring, demanding.

  Maddie struggled only for a moment, until a rush of pure desire swept through her, making her weak as his tongue surged past her lips and plunged into her mouth, tasting, hot and wet. Maddie accepted his forceful entry with a ferocious hunger of her own. Her body came alive with need as Raven ran his tongue over her teeth, his lips flaming against her own, burning her. Raven groaned deep in his throat, the sound vibrating through her, shaking her to her soul. This was exactly what she had imagined when she had written the love scenes in her novel. This--this passion--was what she had strived for. What she, Maddie, would have wanted if she had met Jean-Paul, her fictional vampire lover.

  What she wanted now. Madison slid her tongue into his mouth and slid it across his teeth. With a flick of her tongue, she felt something sharp.

  Just as suddenly as he had grabbed her, Raven released her and took a step back.

  Maddie swayed on her feet for a second, drunk with the intense feelings coursing through her. She stared at Raven. He had said that she might know him and she knew now that was true. She knew him. Intimately. Inside and out.

  Raven returned her stare, his breath ragged. A wind kicked up around them and caught the edges of Raven's long leather coat. The tail of the coat rose on the breeze, flying around him like a pair of black leather wings. His long dark hair swirled around his face, his eyes blazing in the darkness.

  Maddie gasped.

  In front of her stood the character she had created, that she had fallen in love with during that creation.

  John Raven was Jean-Paul Avian.

  Her vampire. Her love.

  Chapter Three

  "See," Raven said, his voice a low rumble. "I'm no stranger in costume. You've known me all along." He held out his hand to her. "Now, come."

  In a daze, Maddie took his hand. He bent to pick up her briefcase from the ground and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. "What did you mean last night when you said you were interested in the 'real me'?" Maddie asked, looking up at him as they walked across the parking lot.

  A corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. "The wild thing inside you." He glanced down at her. "I want to see more of it."

  Maddie shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Yes you do. The part of you that you cover up. You want to fit in. To please your family."

  Maddie's heart skipped a beat. How could he know about her quest to be normal? To please her family?

  "Family," Raven continued, "shouldn't care what you are. You are connected by blood. There is only one thing stronger than blood loyalty. And that's love."

  "What do you know about family? Loyalty? Love?" Maddie asked, feeling raw and exposed.

  "Much more than you know." His eyes met hers. "Family, loyalty, love. They are all that matter in this world."

  Maddie held her breath and searched his face. There was more to John Raven than met the eye.

  "You must go home now," he said, breaking the moment.

  All Maddie could do was stare at him, emotions raging inside her. Fear she had finally lost her mind. Awe there was a person, a real person, who was exactly what she had in mind as the perfect vampire lover. A connection to this man who seemed to look deep inside her as if she were made of glass. But ... was he really what he seemed?

  They had reached her car. Raven opened the door, then turned to her. He stroked her cheek, the armored ring on his little finger leaving a chilly trail along her skin. "Go home. Sleep," he said.

  "But...?"

  "Shhh," he said, a finger to his lips.

  Maddie closed her mouth. She didn't trust her voice. Not when her eyes refused to leave the sight of those lips that had just ravished her own.

  Raven helped he
r into the car, then closed the door. "Be safe," he said. With a swish of his coat, he turned and walked into the darkness.

  Maddie gripped the steering wheel tightly, her hands slick with sweat. She looked out at the Maumee River as it flowed silently. The water was black as midnight, tiny ripples shining silver in the moonlight. Scattered thoughts ripped through her mind. What was she thinking, kissing Raven like that? .. And was Raven real? Or a figment of her overactive imagination?

  No. He was real, all right. Everyone had seen him at the reading. And they had all had a very good look at him--and probably realized he was her main character, in the flesh.

  This can't be good, she told herself. She couldn't have people thinking that she based her characters on real people. Especially people with such a powerful presence, like John Raven.

  John Raven.

  Even his name was the same. Jean-Paul Avian. Maddie had tried for a French feel to his name. Jean was French for John. And Avian meant ... bird-like, to match his flying ability. Like a Raven could fly.

  Maddie released the steering wheel to run her hands through her hair. Damn, why did he have to be her fantasy man? She couldn't afford to get involved with someone like Raven. He was definitely not what River Bend would consider "normal", and she had just secured her place in her parents' eyes. They respected her now that River Bend recognized her as one of their own. One of the chosen. Why did he have to show up now, just when she was getting to the place in life where she wanted to be?

  Maddie sighed and started the car. As she drove, her thoughts weren't on the city streets, which were thankfully deserted, but on the flashing black eyes of John Raven. And how the power of his kiss had held her in complete surrender.

  When she arrived home, Maddie walked immediately to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, eyeing her reflection. She didn't look crazy. Of course, she wasn't sure what 'crazy' looked like. "He can't be real," she told her reflection. "He can't be Jean-Paul. And he surely can't be a vampire."

  The phone rang and Maddie gave a little yelp. Stress, she told herself as she headed for the kitchen to answer the phone. That had to be it. She was under too much stress with all of the events that required her appearance during the next few days. There was no way Raven could be a vampire. They didn't exist. Only in her imagination.

  She snatched the phone off the hook on the third ring. "Hello."

  "It's about time," Leah said on the other end of the line. "Where have you been? I was worried."

  "I got a little ... sidetracked on my way home," Maddie said, leaning against the archway of the door.

  Leah chuckled.. "I'd get a little sidetracked too if I had a hunk like that waiting for me. Are you sure you don't know him from somewhere? It seems awfully odd that he resembles that character in your book."

  "No. I only met him after the parade. And now, I'm going to have to keep explaining to everyone that all of my characters are fiction and not based on real people."

  "That could be a problem. So ... what happened between the two of you after I left? He didn't try anything, did he?'

  Maddie grinned, exhaustion making her a bit goofy. "What would you do if he did? Beat him up?" Maddie could sense Leah's scowl through the phone line.

  "I told you to start being more careful. What if that guy is really a nut, dressing up like your character just to get your attention?"

  Maddie sighed. "Oh, he got my attention, all right."

  "And what does that mean?"

  "Leah, you are sounding more and more like my mother." Maddie twirled the phone cord around her fingers. Should she shock Leah and tell her? She should tell someone, just in case Leah was right about Raven. "He kissed me," she blurted out.

  "What!"

  Maddie jerked the receiver from her ear, then said, "You don't have to yell."

  "You let him kiss you? Are you nuts?"

  "Kind of. But I really didn't have much choice in the matter. He just ... took me." Good grief. That made it sound like he had done more than kiss her. And he could have, if he had wanted to, a voice in her mind scolded.

  "Took you. Took you." Leah was warming up now. "Madison, you have got to get your head together. You have worked so hard to silence this whole town about your wild days when we were young. Don't go and blow it now. Not over some Jean-Paul-wannabe."

  "I know. I know. I don't plan on seeing him again. But he does seem to pop up when I least expect it."

  "Maybe you should get someone to watch your back for a while."

  Maddie straightened. "Now you're being ridiculous. This is River Bend. Everyone knows everyone else's business. No one is going to jump me in the middle of the night or anything. Not here."

  "Well, I still think you should consider it. At least until after Halloween. You are the vampire queen, you know."

  "Yeah. Right. Listen, I've got to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow at the signing."

  "Okay. But if you need me..."

  "I'll call. Goodnight, Leah." Maddie hung up the phone, shaking her head. Leah thought she needed a bodyguard. Ha. What a joke. As she moved through the house, turning off the lights, her thoughts returned to Raven. A vampire. She must be taking her work too seriously.

  Disgusted with herself for even thinking Raven could be a vampire, she flicked off the bathroom light and headed for bed. She had to get some sleep. The book signing tomorrow was at the mall and there was sure to be a good turnout.

  Tomorrow was trick-or-treat at the mall and all of the parents would bring their kids out for the event. Hopefully, a few parents would stop by Cover to Cover and pick up a copy of her book.

  Maddie climbed into bed. With Tinker at her feet, she turned off the light and willed herself to sleep. But sleep was slow in coming, especially when her body was still tingling with sensation, yearning for the sizzling touch of a man that she still wasn't sure was real.

  * * * *

  Raven spent most of the night wandering the streets of River Bend, frustrated with himself. He was not doing what he had been sent here for--to find out where she'd got her information about vampires. Instead, he had kissed her, out of the blue.

  He gritted his teeth, willing himself to forget about the feel of her lips against him, her tongue sliding over his lips and into his mouth. Tomorrow, at Madison's book signing, he would get the information Devlin wanted. Though he absolutely hated being exposed in a crowd, he would be there. Just like he had been at the parade.

  Raven began to calm down as he walked through the town, enjoying the quiet darkness. He had left his car, the sleek black sports car he always drove, parked at the hotel. He could think much better while he walked..

  As he neared his hotel, he thought he had better contact Dirk again. Just to see if there had been any word about Eric. As he thought of Eric, trapped by Devlin Morse, Raven's anger filled him. He wanted to strangle Devlin but knew it would do no good. Devlin was much stronger and strangling would not kill a vampire. But it sure would make Raven feel good to clasp his hands around Devlin's pale neck. As his anger built, his stride became longer. Raven flexed the hand that wore his father's armored ring. It gave a satisfying 'clink, clink' in the night.

  Raven took a deep breath and blew it out, trying to calm himself once again. Anger now, in this place, would do him no good. As he entered his dark hotel room, Eric's parting words came back to him.

  When they were last alone, with Raven already committed to tracking down Madison Woods, Eric had told him not to worry. Had told him to protect the girl. Madison had no war with the Clutch. She had no idea that danger awaited her... But Eric Did. He knew what he was getting into. And Eric had made Raven promise that if something happened--if Eric were to become a true vampire--that Raven would destroy him.

  Raven had promised. He would do it for his brother.

  But Raven wouldn't give Devlin Morse the chance to turn his flesh and blood, one of the Unkindness, into a monster.

  * * * *

  Monday morning dawned cloudy, the threa
t of rain imminent. Maddie's mood matched the weather.

  Groggy from a night of fevered dreams, all of a tall, dark stranger, Maddie stumbled out of bed and headed directly for the coffeemaker. Next, she returned to her bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, gasping at the insult to her system.

  She returned to the kitchen, poured herself a cup of strong coffee and looked out the window at the rain. "Great," she said, "Now my hair will frizz and I'll look like a clown tonight at the book signing." She took another swallow of coffee and headed to the front door. Might as well get the newspaper before it got soaked. Then, she would sit down and read it, try to relax and get rid of this mood. She snatched the paper off the front porch step and closed the door against the patter of the rain.

  Sitting down at the kitchen table, Maddie pulled a chair into position and put her feet up on the table..

  She snapped the paper open.

  "Oh. My. God." Staring back at her was a picture of herself and John Raven. The camera flash. At the library. Maddie sat up in her chair and placed the paper on the tabletop, smoothing it with her hands.

  In the picture, she was gazing up at Raven, with what looked like a look of desire on her face. He looked down at her with those dark eyes. "Madison Woods knows her characters" read the caption beneath the photo. There was an article about her beside the photo as well.

  "No, no, no..."

  Maddie shut her eyes and grit her teeth. This was just great, just damn peachy.

  The phone rang.

  Maddie groaned. Someone had seen it. Her phone was probably going to ring off the hook all day.

  The phone rang again, insisting she answer.

  She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and picked up the receiver. "Yes."

  "Madison."

  She cringed inwardly. It was her father. And he sounded very stern.

  "Good morning, Father. How nice of you to call," Maddie said. She rested her hand atop her coffee cup, to keep it from shaking.

  "What is this in the morning paper?" her father asked.