by Bianca D'Arc
“We’ll give you one hour to get to the bar. Once you’re in place, we’ll call back.”
The line went dead with a resounding click and Miranda smiled. She turned to look at Mag. He was still hanging on the open line of his phone, waiting to hear what Steve had to say.
“What?” he asked quietly, obviously noting her odd expression.
“He forgot to disguise his voice again on that last bit. I know who it was. A low-level vampire thug who works for Raintree. His name is Boris. You saw him the night we went to Raintree’s club. Remember the goon who blocked our way up the stairs?” She stood and started getting dressed even as she thought more about their options. “Boris hasn’t had an original thought in decades. That explains why he was talking in the royal we. He’s operating on orders. Probably from Raintree.”
Mag held his phone closer to his ear as she heard his brother speaking on the other end. It was a short message but it said so much.
“That clinches it. Steven managed to trace the call to the vicinity of Raintree’s club.” He ended the conversation with his brother with a promise to call back shortly.
“They’re holding her there. Probably in that labyrinth of back rooms.” She was certain of it.
“But they want you to go to Mel’s bar,” he pointed out. “Why?”
“To get me out in the open? I haven’t been the easiest prey to corner lately. I’m always with you and we’ve been spending most of our time here. Even when we go out, we have a small army of shifters guarding us. If I go to the bar without all that, I’m easier prey.”
“Then you stay here while we hit Raintree’s and free Melissa.” Mag was already getting dressed in a pair of black military-style pants with lots of pockets.
She’d never seen them before, but he looked comfortable in them and they didn’t make a sound, indicating they were well-worn and had been washed many times to get rid of the fabric’s natural stiffness. Her man was a badass commando and she couldn’t love him more. But she also couldn’t send him out into danger and sit idly by, waiting for word. She was going to be part of this.
“Rescuing Mel and leaving the real threat at the bar undiscovered isn’t going to work. We free her and they’ll just take her again. Or they’ll do something else to someone else to flush me into the open. I think we need to nip this in the bud before anybody else gets caught up in it, hurt or even killed. I’m going to the bar.”
Mag stilled, his gaze catching hers. “You can’t go alone.”
“I didn’t say anything about going alone.” She smiled, but it was a nervous smile. She was about to call on someone she wasn’t a hundred percent certain was on their side. “Lend me your phone? Just in case they can somehow tap mine. Raintree shouldn’t have had this number.” She lowered her phone to the night table and held her other hand out for Mag’s cell.
He seemed suspicious as he handed over the phone and she dialed in the number. It was answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Master Antoine?” It wouldn’t do to call him the more familiar Tony when she was asking for help she wasn’t sure he’d give. Miranda was well aware of Mag’s surprise but he simply watched and listened as she outlined the problem to the Master and asked for his help.
Mag wasn’t thrilled with the plan but he understood Miranda’s reasons for wanting to end this tonight, before anybody else was hurt by their enemies. He kissed her deeply before he let her drive off into the night in his most heavily fortified vehicle. He had to let her go alone, in case anyone was watching.
But he knew something the watchers didn’t. The Master vampire had promised to take to the air in his mist form and follow her path. If anybody attempted to waylay her before she got to the bar, he would render assistance. He was their ace in the hole. Mag just prayed Tony was as good as his word.
Mag suited up and went out behind his house as stealthily as he could. He had a pathway through the dark desert that would lead him to the rendezvous point he and Steve had arranged. Steve picked him up in the chopper—the big one, that could seat a platoon of soldiers, though Redstone Construction ostensibly used it for aerial tours for groups of clients.
Steve and Grif were at the controls, both familiar with such machines from their time in Army Special Forces. The back of the chopper was filled with a small group of family and friends who all worked for Steve in some security capacity. There were lots of weapons, some of which had been loaded with special ammo that would be especially useful against vampires.
They flew to the city faster than Miranda could drive, but they’d scheduled it so they’d start their assault on the back rooms of Raintree’s club only after Miranda had arrived at the bar. With any luck the bad guys would be too occupied in both places to coordinate their response.
Grif landed the big chopper on the roof of one of the tall buildings near Raintree’s. It was one that Redstone Construction had worked on recently, so they had all the access codes. It was child’s play to commandeer the express elevator that would lead them directly to the basement level. From there, the little group would make their way stealthily toward the back alley behind Raintree’s.
And from there, all hell would break loose in T minus ten minutes.
Miranda tried her best to hide her nerves as she walked into the wine bar. She hadn’t seen a trace of the Master, but she hoped that was just because he was especially good at stealth. It didn’t bear thinking that he’d lied and wasn’t going to help her.
She didn’t want to be all on her own here, walking into a trap, but if that’s the way it was going to be, then she’d put up one hell of a fight before the end. Either way, she was as prepared as she was going to get.
She opened the inner, etched glass door and scanned the room.
There were few people here tonight. Far fewer than there should be. And those that were seated at tables and around the bar were not the usual human clientele.
Miranda began to sweat. Every last person in here was a vampire. At least a dozen of them. And none of them were people she liked. In fact, they were all either friends of Cassie’s or Raintree’s. Miranda didn’t move in those circles, for good reason. The bloodletters gathered here were all on the shady side of the Light. Inhuman bastards, one and all.
This was so not good.
And then Cassie sauntered out from behind the bar.
“Glad you could join us, sister.” Cassie oozed confidence and her hatred was almost palpable.
“What did you do with the mortals who normally work here?” Miranda feared they were all dead—or wishing they were. The group of vampires gathered here had little respect for their prey.
“I gave them the night off.” Cassie looked around the place and smiled. “I’m going to enjoy running this place when you’re gone. It has a certain class. I can see why you kept this under wraps. A nice little hunting ground reserved especially for you. Clever, girl. I’d admire you if I didn’t hate you so very much.” Cassie stalked closer and her smile turned evil. “Tonight I will finally have my revenge and it already tastes so damn sweet.”
Cassie reached for her, but Miranda sidestepped. She moved so fast that not even Cassie could match her. Damn. Mag was right. His cat’s reflexes were honing her already preternatural speed into something even more formidable. She’d need all of it to get out of this confrontation alive.
Miranda was ducking and dodging with the best of them and admiring her own new skills when a steely grip caught her from behind. One of Cassie’s friends had caught her, and his grip was strong. But was Miranda stronger?
She tried to break free, and though it was a bit of an effort, she discovered she was up to the challenge.
Next they started throwing things at her. Glasses and bottles escalated to chairs and tables, but she was able to dodge them all, speeding around the room. The bar was being trashed though. There would be a lot of work needed to bring the place back up to snuff after this was all said and done. Miranda only hoped she was still around to foot the bill.
Cassie screamed in rage as she and the other dozen bloodletters chased her around the bar. Miranda had the advantage in several ways. First, she was just a hair faster than the others. Second, she was stronger than every single one of them. Even if someone managed to get a hand on her, she was able to break free in seconds. Third, she knew the bar better than any of them. She’d been involved in the design and construction of the place from day one. Mel had overseen the day shift and Miranda had come to watch the night shift finish things. Theirs had been a very active partnership in the beginning.
Miranda had enjoyed getting to know her niece. She only hoped she’d be around to continue their acquaintance. But she was tiring. Her opponents knew she couldn’t keep up this pace indefinitely. Things were going to change sooner or later.
And then they did.
The door opened and everyone in the room froze in place as a new person entered the building.
The Master had arrived.
Miranda could have wept. Tony was playing the part of the cavalry…or was he? She waited along with the rest of them, to see where he stood on the matter of Miranda’s life—or death.
“My children, playing tag is not recommended indoors,” Tony observed, pulling off one of his leather gloves a finger at a time. Everyone in the big room watched to see what he would do, perhaps none as eagerly as Miranda. “Cassie dear, would you please explain the meaning of all this?” He waved negligently around the room, one hand still holding his silver-tipped cane—a rather human affectation, Miranda had always thought.
“Sure,” Cassie said defiantly, stepping toward the Master. “Why not?” She sneered at the man she had previously sworn to obey. My, how times had changed. “Since you decided to do nothing about Miranda and her pet, we took it upon ourselves to corner her and kill her. Once we’re done with her, the cat will be next.”
“You would start a war with the most powerful shifter Clan in the United States?” Tony observed, one eyebrow rising in the merest show of interest. “All because of one little vampire and her mate?” Tony made a tsking sound as he shook his head. “You disappoint me, Cassandra. You and all those who’ve gathered behind you. And Raintree. Don’t think I don’t know who’s behind all of this.”
“What of it? Soon you’ll be dead and Raintree will wear the mantle of Master.” Cassie was really pushing her luck, Miranda thought. It was one thing to threaten a relatively low-level being like Miranda. It was another thing entirely to defy the Master to his face.
“You think so?” Tony’s voice had dropped to a low pitch that held a world of warning in it. Apparently Cassie couldn’t or wouldn’t hear it.
“I know so,” Cassie replied, raising her chin in defiance.
Tony was a blur as he crossed the space between himself and Cassandra. The knob of his cane came out, and he threw the long stick aside revealing…not a sword…but a stake. A wooden stake that he pushed straight into Cassie’s chest.
She clutched at his hands as she died, falling slowly to the floor as the Master stood over her. The look on his face was one of stern regret.
“I take no pleasure in ending a life, but defying me in my own domain cannot be tolerated.” Tony looked up at the rest of the bloodletters who watched with varying expressions.
Most didn’t seem to care that Cassie was done for. A few seemed taken aback, but still defiant. It was clear to Miranda that the battle wasn’t over. Not yet.
“Miranda, do you serve the Light?” The Master snapped his question out like a whip. It caught her by surprise, but the answer came out of her mouth without thought.
“Always,” she replied.
“Then you may serve in my court.” Tony nodded with an old world charm. Sort of like a liege lord bestowing a boon on his vassal. For all she knew, maybe he had been such a lord. He certainly knew how to act the part. “The rest of you,” Tony addressed the dozen bloodletters that remained. “If you serve the Light and agree to abide by my rule, you will be spared. If you continue to side with the forces of evil, you will either leave or die. What say you?”
“The Light never did me one damn bit of good,” one ruffian spoke up. He was a friend of Cassie’s. Rough around the edges, he was a young vampire who had only been made recently. “The night I woke up a vampire, I gave up all things associated with the Light. And the day I killed my first man—I was only a teenager—I decided then and there that the devil could have me, ‘cause God sure wouldn’t.”
“Think carefully on your words,” Tony warned. “Vampire I may be, but I have served the Mother Goddess all my nights and will continue to be Her servant for all the nights I have left. I will not ally myself with those who oppose Her goodness. You will either leave my domain or die by my hand. Your choice.” Tony eased back, his stance going loose. Ready for anything.
Miranda took her cues from him. He had lived centuries. He knew how to win a fight. She could do worse than learn from an expert like the Master. She dropped back into a ready stance. If they were going to attack, it would be soon.
Mag didn’t dare break into Miranda’s thoughts, but their connection was close enough now that he was aware of her situation. He’d known the moment she’d walked into the bar, and he’d given the signal to the team to start their operation at Raintree’s. He was acting in a support capacity for now, keeping mental track of his mate through their connection without doing anything to distract her.
Mag knew when Tony waltzed into the bar, and felt Miranda’s surprise when he staked Cassie without blinking an eye. Wow. Mag hadn’t realized Tony had it in him. Not really. He’d known intellectually that the man had to have balls and superior fighting skills to claw his way to the title of Master. Mag had just never seen it in action.
He kept one part of his mind on the wine bar while the rest of him brought up the rear as the small team of shifters infiltrated through the back alley at Raintree’s. It wouldn’t take long before their presence was discovered, but he caught the scent of their prey almost the moment he stepped inside the back entrance of the club.
The guards—human guards—that had been stationed in the back of the club were knocked out and tied up. Not a sound had been made to betray the shifters’ presence. Mag had to admire his brother’s security team. They had serious skills.
None of the others had met Melissa, so Mag gave the signal to his elder brothers. He’d take point to locate the room where she was being held. It wasn’t far. He knew that for a fact. His nose told him so.
Melissa shared the roses and cinnamon scent of her great aunt, but to a lesser degree, and it was tempered by her human side. That, and the wine that surrounded her working hours had left its traces in her scent. It was an easy scent trail to follow in the miasma of humans and vampires that populated the rest of the dance club.
One short hallway and three doors later, Mag located the room. He scented one vampire in there with her, as well as a human female. And fresh blood. Shit.
Mag nodded to Steve when he gave him the signal. Of the group, Mag was probably the fastest now. And Melissa knew him. She’d be less likely to freak out if she saw him enter the room and incapacitate the bloodsucker.
In Mag’s mind, connected as he was to Miranda’s thoughts and emotions, he felt the standoff happening at the wine bar. He shut that part down for a moment so he could concentrate on his task. He’d hit this hard and fast, and all would be well. Taking a deep breath, Mag kicked open the door, storming into the small room.
The vampire didn’t know what hit him. One minute he was snacking on a half-naked human woman, the next, he was up against the wall with Mag’s hand on his throat. The fangs didn’t scare Mag, and when the bastard tried to shapeshift, Mag punched him in the throat, cutting off his air. A heavy tap on the head put the bastard down for the count.
Mag left the unconscious vamp to his brother’s people. They had ways to secure him that he wouldn’t be able to escape. He also left the bleeding woman to one of the female shifters on his brother’s team. Ma
g went for Melissa.
He untied her and loosened the cloth gag that was tied around her face.
“We need to be quiet, but we’re here to get you out. Are you okay to walk, Melissa?” he asked quietly as he worked.
“Magnus? What the hell? That guy is a vampire!” She was definitely freaking out, but managing to keep it down as well. So far, so good.
“Yes he is, Mel,” Mag confirmed. “And there are more of them in the immediate vicinity. I’m here to get you out as quietly as possible, but if we have to fight them, we will, and it won’t be pretty. Stand up, honey.” He supported her as he lifted her to her feet but she was feisty and batted his hands away.
“I can do it,” she insisted. “Where’s Randi?”
“Fighting them at your bar,” he answered honestly. “They lured her there but we figured out you were being held here so we split up.”
“You let her go alone?” Mel was getting angry. Mag liked her spirit.
“Not exactly. She’s got a seven hundred year old vampire fighting on her side. And once we get you to safety, I’m going to go help her, so let’s get a move on, okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied, walking unsteadily toward the broken door. “I got it. Let’s go.”
At the wine bar across town, the young vampire attacked first, and went down just as quickly while his fellows watched. That left eleven for Miranda and the Master to deal with.
Eleven against two. The odds still sucked.
Miranda knew Mag was busy, and she didn’t dare distract him, but she felt the moment he found Mel. His emotions reached out to her, humming in the back of her mind. She knew he wasn’t out of danger yet, but he’d found Mel and she was alive. Of that, at least, Miranda was certain.
Knowing that, she felt a moment of relief. It made what was about to come next somehow easier, knowing her grandniece was in good hands. She trusted Mag and his Clansmen to see to Mel. They would get her someplace safe.