Silver Dagger

by T. L. Sinclare

He had a point. Someone wanted her dead. It probably didn't matter why. In Stephen's world, there very likely wasn't a reason.

  Stephen reached out and pulled back the collar of Madeleine's shirt. "This is my mark, Antonio. She's mine." He didn't make a threat. He didn't need to.

  His fingers brushed the faded bruise. She couldn't control the flutter in her belly at his soft touch. It was insane. She was in a dark alley having just fought five vampires with a silver knife and some jewelry, and she was still able to lust after Stephen. Too weird.

  She vaguely heard Stephen order Antonio away.

  "Come on."

  Stephen's coat swirled around him as he stalked away, heading toward Charlotte. Madeleine stepped carefully over a vampire and followed after him.

  "But what about the others?" Two of the five vampires were still unconscious.

  He kept walking. "What about them?" he asked without turning around.

  "We can't just leave them there."

  He stopped. Madeleine slammed into his back. Only the strength of his hands catching her as he spun around stopped her from tumbling to the ground.

  "What do you propose to do for them?" His voice was as cold as it had been during his conversation with Antonio. "They're vampires. They'll find their way home before the sun rises. If not, the world is just that much better off."

  He steadied her on her feet then turned away. She watched him for a few seconds, thinking he was joking and would eventually turn around. He didn't.

  Stephen stopped at the end of the alley and bent over. When he straightened, an unconscious Charlotte lay in his arms. He turned the corner and left the alley. Madeleine caught up with them at Stephen's car. He'd left the Jag at home tonight. The black sedan sat alone and untouched on the crowded street. He raised his chin toward the back door, and Madeleine reached to open it.

  A face stared up at her. Madeleine jerked back.

  "Nick?"

  "Oh, yes, we'd best go around." Stephen walked around to the other side of the car. Madeleine raced to meet him there. She opened the door and he slipped Charlotte inside. Nick barely glanced at the unconscious woman placed next to him. He continued to glare at Stephen.

  "Madeleine!"

  Her head snapped up at the call. Scott. She looked around, trying to find him in the swarm of people that seemed to hover outside the club. Stephen stepped into her line of vision and opened the car door.

  "We have to go."

  "But that's Scott."

  "Madeleine!"

  Stephen's jaw tightened. "Yes, and it would be very inconvenient to have the police find two wounded vampires in the alley and an unconscious woman in my back seat. Get in."

  She allowed herself to be helped into the car. They drove off as Scott burst from the crowd. She was going to have to call him tomorrow and explain. Somehow.

  "Will you unlock me, please?" Nick asked.

  Madeleine twisted around in her seat. The young man ignored her and glared at the back of Stephen's head. A thin metallic ribbon linking Nick's hand and the door glittered in the dim light. He was handcuffed inside the car. A tiny set of keys flew into the back seat. Nick caught them with his free hand.

  She looked at Stephen, silently asking the question.

  "He would have gotten in my way."

  Madeleine waited, not quite believing Stephen's explanation. She stayed silent and watched him. Finally Stephen sighed and said, "He would have been killed. He has no protection, no power."

  Madeleine didn't try to hide her smile. She couldn't resist teasing him just a little bit.

  "It's so cute." She reached out and pinched his cheek. "You're protecting the baby vampire."

  She could feel a snarl welling up in the back of Stephen's throat and laughed. The evening was full of revelations. She could feel herself falling more in love with him. And it didn't matter. She wasn't frightened. She wasn't upset. She was in love. And smiling.

  The light glinted off the stark lines of his fangs. Madeleine chuckled. She'd seen Stephen angry, and although he might be upset tonight, he wasn't going to hurt her. He'd just protected her.

  She sat back in her seat and stared forward, stunned by the simple reality. Stephen had protected her. He'd claimed he was going to kill her, but he'd missed the perfect opportunity of getting her out of his life.

  And he'd locked Nick in the car.

  She smiled. For the first time in weeks, she felt safe.

  Then Stephen spoke. "Back in the alley—did you call me 'sweetheart'?"

  Madeleine tensed and lied, "No."

  "I think you did." He reached over and patted her knee. "It's so cute."

  Nick chuckled from the back seat.

  "I'd stay out of this," she warned.

  His only response was more quiet laughter.

  "I take it you know where she lives?"

  Madeleine snapped to attention. "I'm sorry. What?"

  "Your friend. I'm assuming you know where she lives. We can't keep her."

  "Oh. Yes." She quickly gave directions.

  When they arrived at Char's apartment building, Stephen carried her upstairs and propped her outside the door. He stared down at the unconscious woman as if a heavy decision pressed on him.

  "What?" Madeleine asked.

  "I don't know what she saw, what she might remember later. She could cause problems for us."

  Madeleine pushed herself between Stephen and Charlotte. "Don't kill her."

  Stephen grimaced. "I'm not going to kill her. She's had enough alcohol that most of what she saw will seem like a dream. I'm just going to encourage that."

  He waved Madeleine out of the way. She didn't move.

  "How?"

  Stephen glanced up and down the hallway. "Well, if you'd get out of the way, I'm going to bite her and plant a suggestion in her thoughts."

  "You can't plant a suggestion without biting her?"

  "No."

  "You did with me. The first time we met."

  "Can you guys discuss this later?" Nick interrupted. "We really should be moving."

  Madeleine held her hand up into Nick's face to stop his comments. "What about the hickey?"

  Stephen smiled. "She won't have a hickey."

  This time when he slid around Madeleine, she let him go.

  "Then why do I?" Both times Stephen had bitten her, she'd ended up wearing turtlenecks. During the summer. It was annoying. And embarrassing.

  "Passion."

  "What?" She placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back before he could put his lips on Char's neck. "What passion?"

  The muscles along his jaw tightened as if he was stopping himself from answering. After a moment he said, "I'm biting her with a purpose—it's cold, it's calculated, and it's the most efficient course of action."

  "But you bit me with a purpose."

  He nodded slowly. "Yes, until passion became involved."

  It was too easy to remember the first touch of his mouth on her throat, the lure of his taste. She licked her lips at the memory.

  "Exactly. Passion." Before she could stop him, he turned back and opened his mouth against Charlotte's throat. Madeleine crushed the protest, knowing it wasn't concern for Char that wanted him to stop. It was jealousy. She hated seeing Stephen's mouth on another woman's neck. She pressed her lips together and forced herself to watch.

  It was over quickly. Stephen lifted his head and whispered quietly in Charlotte's ear. The tiny puncture wounds on her throat were closing already. Moments later he straightened. Charlotte opened her glassy eyes and stared up at Stephen with adoration. She smiled and tried to lean forward to kiss him. Madeleine was preparing to intervene, but Stephen leaned back out of Charlotte's reach. The move was quick and subtle, so subtle it might have been an accident, but Madeleine didn't think so. He had avoided Charlotte's kiss for a reason. For her.

  "I'll get her inside," she announced, helping the dazzled Charlotte into her apartment. Her friend was easily led, and Madeleine guided her into the bedr
oom. Another spike of jealousy hit her as she saw the sensual smile on Charlotte's lips. Madeleine had to force herself not to drop Charlotte on the floor. Instead, she helped her into bed and pulled the covers over her.

  Stephen and Nick were waiting in the hall when she returned.

  "She'll be fine." Stephen placed his hand around her back and began walking down the hall. "She probably won't remember the fight. She got scared, and she called you. You came and rescued her, brought her home, and helped her to bed. She had a little too much to drink is all."

  Madeleine nodded. None of them seemed inclined to speak as they walked back to the car.

  "Are we going after this Thomass guy?" Madeleine asked once Stephen had pulled into the street.

  "No, I'm going to talk to Thomass. You're going home."

  "But—"

  "What the hell did you think you were doing tonight anyway?"

  "Defending myself."

  "Against vampires? They almost killed you tonight." Now that the conversation was started, Stephen seemed to have a lot to say.

  "I was doing okay."

  Stephen snapped his head to the right and stared at her with disbelief.

  "Okay, so I wasn't doing that well, but I have a right to be involved. It's me they want to kill."

  "And that will happen if you don't do what I say."

  "And that means going home and staying inside."

  "Yes."

  "No."

  Stephen's fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and she knew instinctively he was fighting his temper. He was just going to have to deal with it. She wasn't going back to hiding in her apartment.

  "Fine." He sounded resigned to her presence. "Nicholas, I'm going to Death's Door. I'll drop you off at the house."

  "Why does she get to go, and I have to go home?" Nick protested. "I'm not helpless, you know. I can defend myself."

  She didn't think Stephen's body could get any tighter—his whole being radiated tension. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited with a smile until Stephen finished glaring at her.

  "Fine. We'll all go. But if either of you gets in trouble, you're on your own."

  "Okay," she agreed. She didn't believe him for moment. She looked into the back seat and smiled at Nick. He smiled back. The two of them were enjoying the adventure even if Stephen wasn't. She knew she should be scared, should take Stephen up on his offer to take her home. It was the safe thing to do. But she didn't feel like being safe, and if she wasn't going to be safe, she should at least be smart. Staying with Stephen was smart. He would be her safety.

  She didn't know what the night would bring, but she'd face it with Stephen at her side.

  Chapter Eleven

  "By the way, thanks for coming tonight. I appreciate the rescue."

  Stephen didn't seem to be in the mood for thanks.

  "It was an obvious trap. Why did you go in?" he argued.

  "She's my friend. I couldn't let her get hurt. It was my fault she was there in the first place."

  "You could have asked for help."

  "I did."

  Stephen glared across the car at her, and Madeleine winced.

  "Real help. What good would that human cop have been? You should have called me." He sounded offended, almost jealous that she'd called Scott.

  "I had no way of getting a hold of you. How did you get there so fast?" She glanced over her shoulder at Nick. "What did you do? Call him by mental telepathy?"

  Nick held up a tiny black cell phone. She looked over at Stephen. He reached down and undipped a similar phone from his belt.

  "Cell phones," she said in a dazed voice. "How technologically advanced. I guess I was expecting something a little more spooky."

  "We save the spooky stuff for later."

  She didn't smile. She had no idea how much more spooky stuff she could handle. Vampires had been enough. Finding herself in love with one had pushed her spook quotient to its limit.

  The city around them changed. They traveled through the business district and beyond, into a world of seedy clubs and adult bookstores. Streetlights became fewer and fewer. Stephen calmly watched the streets like a driver who knew the area well and knew what to expect around each corner. Dark streets didn't bother him. Madeleine checked her door, confirming she was locked inside.

  The streets were almost empty, yet they seemed alive, as if the inhabitants stood just out of sight, watching as they passed. Movement flickered at the corner of her eye. She turned, but whatever had been there was gone.

  "Where are we going?" she asked as he drove farther into this foreign land, her voice tainted with uncertainty she wished she could hide. Stephen turned the car and pulled into a long, curved driveway.

  A sign hung above the door of the huge black mansion. "Death's Door" adorned the wood in faded black ink. Darkness emanated from the building. Madeleine instinctively leaned away. Stephen drove around to a full parking lot and found a place in the corner. People—humans and vampires, she assumed—lingered in the parking lot in groups of two, three, and four.

  Stephen parked and came around to her door. He offered his hand.

  "Welcome to my world, Maddie."

  Madeleine almost refused—her common sense finally awakening enough to protest—but she couldn't. She'd pushed him to bring her along, and there was something in Stephen's eyes that dared her to stay. She placed her hand in his and climbed out of the car. Still holding her hand, Stephen started toward the door. Nick stumbled along behind them.

  Their approach attracted the interest of several groups of people. Until they saw Stephen leading the way. Madeleine watched in amazement as first one crowd, then the next backed out of his path.

  It was easy to tell why. Power reverberated from him, warning even the most unaware that he was dangerous.

  Madeleine tried to focus on the people around her, tried to keep her mind on her situation. She didn't have time to be distracted. She'd just fought five vampires, let Stephen bite her friend, and now was going into what appeared to be a local vampire hangout. It was enough to keep anyone's attention. But she couldn't pull her eyes off Stephen. The black duster he wore flowed with invisible forces, swirling around his body, caught up in blind winds that surrounded him. A very modern vampire.

  Maybe it was the adrenaline flowing through her body or the power flowing through his, but she wanted him. Wanted to taste the line of his neck and feel his body tighten within hers. Unconsciously, she trailed her tongue along the inside edge of her teeth. The slight abrasion sent a little shiver over her skin. The memory of his touch was so sharp and the dreams so vivid that new images snapped into her mind. Variations on a theme. Stephen behind her, his hands hot against her cool skin, warming her, matching the heat inside her body. His lips sliding down the column of her neck and—

  Stephen jerked to a stop, spun around, and pulled Madeleine against him.

  "Wha—?" His mouth covered hers. No gentling, no teasing—his lips met hers and his tongue entered her waiting mouth. Oh yes, this was what she wanted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and met him kiss for kiss. Warm hands held her hips and pulled her hard against the strength of his body. She could feel his erection straining against the confines of his clothes. She shifted, cupping and cuddling him in the warmth between her legs. A tiny moan slipped from her throat. It was good and she wanted more.

  "My, my, my. Interesting."

  As quickly as it started, it stopped. Stephen lifted his head and set Madeleine away from him. Her knees wobbled for a moment before finding the strength to stand straight.

  Blinking away her shock, she looked up. Stephen stared over her head, his teeth bared and the long line of his fangs gleaming in the dim light of the parking lot.

  "Down, boy," the same voice teased, and Madeleine followed the sound to the source. A tall blond man with long, flowing hair stood a few feet away, his arms folded on his chest. His mouth was curled into a mocking smile and his glittering green eyes were full of laughter. "I'd heard
you were storming up to my place. I thought I'd greet you before you broke something. I never realized it might be the city's decency laws. Necking? In my parking lot?" Stephen didn't respond, but Madeleine felt some of the tension ease from him. She didn't know this newcomer, but Stephen seemed to trust him.

  "And you must be Madeleine. I've been dying to meet you."

  The man sauntered forward—she'd never seen anyone truly saunter before, but there was no other word for it. He offered an elegant, slightly limp hand to Madeleine. She inched toward Stephen and stared at the open palm.

  "Oh, don't worry, dear, I know better than to play with one of Stephen's toys." She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her. "My dear, you are so obviously marked you might as well wear a glowing sign that proclaims it. Not to mention that lovely bruise on your neck." He smiled up at Stephen. "A hickey? Stephen. I've seen week-old fledglings with more control."

  "Gayle—" The warning in Stephen's voice was obvious—obvious, it seemed, except to the man it was directed at.

  Gayle ignored Stephen and winked at Madeleine. "Don't worry, my dear, he won't hurt me. Not unless I beg him to."

  She laughed, more at the frustrated look on Stephen's face than anything else.

  "Gayle—" Stephen started again.

  "He's just so terrifying when he's in a temper, isn't he?" the blond vampire asked Madeleine.

  She nodded. She couldn't help liking the teasing man in front of her. He didn't fit her image of a vampire, except for the tall, good-looking part. His green eyes twinkled merrily even in the dim light of the parking lot.

  "I'm Gayle, darling. Stephen's best, and sometimes only, friend in the whole world." Gayle looked between Stephen and Madeleine and cocked his head to the side. "And who is this?"

  Madeleine looked back to see Nick struggling to steady himself. She knew exactly what he was going through—the battle between the instinct of "run and hide" and the pride of refusing to back down. She had Stephen to hold on to. Nick was alone.

  "He's not your concern." Stephen's cold words countered the fire that blazed in his eyes.

  Gayle laughed. Madeleine tried to catch the blond vampire's eyes and warn him that Stephen wasn't joking. She didn't know how she knew that. Maybe because she'd heard that tone before, but she knew that Gayle should back off.