“A Prius pulled out in front of a garbage truck. I don’t know if the brakes went out on the thing or what. But it didn’t even stop, it just dragged the car. It’s a mess.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“You can say that. It was Jane in the car, Haley. She’s dead.”
Haley stopped.
“I went to help. I got the door open. That’s when I saw it. She’s marked, Haley. She’s marked by Nidia.”
Haley rounded the corner and a barrage of blue, red, and white emergency lights turned the afternoon into some sort of retro dance scene. Only no one was playing any music.
The crack and hiss of radios joined the shouts and high pitched whine of metal cutting metal. At least five cars were involved, and there were people everywhere, sitting on curbs, talking to EMS and Firefighters. The main event looked more like the remnants of a crushed and mutilated soda can than it did a car.
Haley spotted Farley sitting on the curb, watching everything. “Hey.”
White points protruded from under his upper lip.
“You okay?” She stared at his mouth and he nodded.
“It’s the blood.” Farley shifted his legs and reached into his pocket, removing a PDA. “I took this from her purse.” He handed it to her. “Look under D.”
She did and froze. Dobson’s name was there and the last call that had been made to him was this morning. Haley checked for more calls. There were several.
“Justice said it was Nidia and not Medan.” She looked down at Farley. He had his arms folded over his knees and his head was down. “What’s wrong?” She sat down beside him and stroked his arm.
He took one breath, then two.
“I can’t protect you.” Farley’s eyes clenched shut and he looked away from her.
“Protect me?” She put the PDA in her pocket so she could reach for him. He was stiff under her embrace, like he didn’t want to be held, but pulling away wasn’t an option. “Farley, we’ve been friends for a very long time. Why would you need to protect me?”
“I’m your Marked. Your First Marked. It’s my job. You took me as your First, when you should have taken someone strong. Someone like Niles...”
“Where the hell did all this come from?” She tried to get him to look at her, but he wouldn’t. “I don’t understand.”
“Exactly.” He stared at the car wreck. Two neon yellow colored HERO trucks pulled up alongside a small collection of cars that had blown out tires on all the debris. “You’re too Human sometimes, you know?”
Haley sighed. “I know. Sometimes I feel like I’m being pulled apart. I don’t know where I belong.” She touched his head and fondled his red curls. It had been so pretty when he wore it long. “That’s why you’re so important. You help keep me grounded. You accept me...” A small unhappy laugh fell out of her mouth. “Well, most of the time you accept me.”
“Why did you Mark me, Haley?”
She tried to smile, but it didn’t work. “Because not doing it wasn’t an option. I couldn’t leave you, I ... couldn’t.”
“A smart Female would’ve.”
“I’m not that smart, I guess.” She petted his hair some more and tried to imagine her life without him. It didn’t work. It hurt too much.
“You need to take the PDA to Ken. He can download the info. There might be more on there, who knows? If Nidia is working with Dobson... What’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “I can’t ask Ken for anything. I’m being moved.”
“Where? And on who’s order?”
“Dobson.” Just saying his name made her feel sick. “I don’t get it. Why would Nidia help him kill Kin?”
Farley shook his head and ran a hand over his brush cut. “Nidia is ruthless. A virus would be an easy way to get rid of all her rivals. Hell, she wouldn’t even have to leave the Hive to do it.”
“Yeah, but it would kill her, too.” Nidia and Dobson working together? God of Man, could it get any worse?
“From what I’ve heard about her, she’s arrogant enough to think it won’t, and resourceful enough to have a back-up. Medan would never admit it, but rumor has it Nidia scares her.” That made Haley raise her eyebrows. “Like I said, not that she’d ever admit it.”
Haley stood up and held out her hand to Farley. After a short pause he took it. “C’mon. Let’s go home. I’ll call Garrett. I don’t know if he can do anything or not, but maybe the PDA will be enough to put Dobson under a rock.”
For a while anyways.
Chapter 33
Haley had the cabbie stop at the street corner instead of pulling into the parking lot because all the lights were on in her apartment.
A shadow passed in front of the curtains. “Whoever it is, they aren’t very professional.” Which meant they weren’t Dobson’s. And if Nidia was as ruthless as Farley claimed, then she wouldn’t settle for anyone but the best.
On the back of an angry growl Farley said a name, “Darco.”
The cab door flew open and Farley took off across the parking lot. Haley tossed a twenty at the cabbie and ran after him.
“Wait, Farley! Wait!” But Farley was too busy snarling like a rabid animal and weaving through the parked cars. He slid across the hood of a red sedan, hit the ground, and took another shortcut by leaping onto the bumper of an Escalade, going over the top before he hit the asphalt again.
There was a split second of hope at the entrance because he didn’t have a key card, but then an old couple pushed open the door from the inside and he blazed past them.
“Damn it, Farley!”
As Haley started up the steps, the stairwell door crashed against concrete. She got to the hall just in time to see Farley cut down to a jog. He stopped a few feet from her door and pressed himself to the wall. She approached and he motioned for her to stop. When she didn’t, he went in.
The scent wasn’t Darco’s, but it was familiar and there was an odd burnt plastic smell to go along with it. Farley crouched by the bedroom door and held up what looked to be the remains of a hospital gown to his nose.
In the bathroom the shower was running.
Okay, now she was getting pissed. Not only had someone broken into her house and had it smelling like burning milk jugs, but they were taking a shower. Haley marched past Farley and yanked open the door. Among all the white with peach highlights, a lean figure stood under the shower, rinsing the soap from his long black hair.
“Creyal?” He glanced at her from over his shoulder. “What the hell are you doing in my apartment? And how the hell did you find my apartment?”
At her back, Farley snarled.
Creyal took his time rinsing off. After he turned off the water, he snagged a towel off the rack before Haley could stop him.
Those were her good towels, the kind that were meant to give a bathroom color, not the kind meant to be used.
Haley was sure all the turning and stretching he did was to show off every piercing and ink mark he wore.
Haley folded her arms and glared. “If you’re through desecrating my bathroom, I’d appreciate it if you’d get out.”
Creyal’s lavender gaze rolled over her. “I came here because I didn’t know where else to go.”
“And how did you find here?”
“I did a redial on the phone number Dr. Meyer used to call you this morning. When I got the number, I did a reverse look up for the address on her computer.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. “I didn’t plan to come without calling first, but I wasn’t given much choice.” He dropped the towel and walked past her into the bedroom and opened her closet.
“What the hell are you doing?” She slammed the door shut, almost catching his fingers. “You come into my apartment, you get in my shower, and now you’re digging through my closets?”
Creyal leaned in close and thrummed.
“If you prefer me like this, I will be most happy to oblige.” He raised his hand to touch her and Farley lunged. Haley threw her shoulder into him and pinned him against the
wall. Creyal stepped back, eyes dancing.
“Farley!” Haley held him, but only barely.
“Looks like I’m not the only one who’s been having a bad day.”
The feral went back to the closet. Farley’s eyes flashed orange and red as he watched the other Male pick through her things.
“What do you want, Creyal? And why are you out of the clinic?”
“The clinic’s gone.” Creyal plucked Farley’s black dress shirt from the closet. He insisted on keeping his nice clothes at her apartment because of the rats in his.
Creyal slipped it off the hanger and put it on. He moved over to her drawers. Farley’s glare tracked him across the room.
Haley said, “What do you mean, the clinic’s gone?”
Creyal opened the first drawer and pulled out a thong. A crooked smile cut across his face. He dropped it on the floor and continued pulling out one pair after the other. “Have enough?”
“I like lots of underwear.”
“I’ll say...” He picked up a lacy red pair.
“Don’t you dare, Creyal.” He slid his lavender eyes over to her, then Farley, and promptly made a show of scenting it. Farley let loose with an angry screech.
“Damn it, Creyal!” He went to the next one and pulled out her bras, dropping them on the floor. “Third drawer down. There are pants in there.” She looked at Farley. “Can you please just calm down?”
“He knows the rules,” Farley hissed. “If you won’t make him abide by them, I will.”
“This isn’t the Dens!” Haley grabbed his cheek and made him look at her. “This is my home. The only rules here are mine!”
From over by the dresser Creyal said, “These jeans are a little long in the leg to belong to shorty there. Does he know you’re, how do the chetrah put it, stepping out on him?”
“They belong to another Male, Deshi. He’s a friend.”
Creyal’s breath brushed her cheek. “You sure do have a lot of friends.” He puckered his lips and kissed the air in front of Farley’s face. Which, of course, sent him into another tirade. “Will you quit aggravating him?”
“Why not? Food is fun to play with before you eat it.” Creyal plopped down on her bed and lay back, twirling her red panties from the end of his finger. “I call dark meat.”
Farley lunged, twisting and turning, his body bending at impossible angles in an attempt to escape Haley’s grip.
“Damn it, look at me!” He wouldn’t. His eyes were on Creyal. All of a sudden, the only thing Haley had in her hand was a piece of his shirt and his arm. The rest of him was going right for the other Male.
Desperate to keep them apart, Haley swung him into the dresser. Farley bounced off and hit the floor. She threw herself on top of him, planted her knees on either side of his hips, and locked her hands on his wrists.
“Listen to me--”
“Let me up so I can kill him!”
“You’re not ruining my carpets!” Farley bowed, almost throwing her off. “Stop it, Farley.”
“Or what? What are you going to do, Haley? This isn’t the Dens, remember? You aren’t a proper Female; you may not care if he disrespects you, but I care! I will not let him treat you like you’re Human!” He bucked her off. Farley was almost too fast. But by some miracle, Haley managed to snag his ankle. His hand shot out towards Creyal, but the Male pulled his leg out of reach.
And damn him, if he didn’t wiggle his toes.
“If I had known this was going to be so entertaining, I would have brought snack food.” His lavender eyes landed on Farley, who was doing a pretty good impersonation of the Tasmanian devil. If Haley hadn’t been so scared for him, she might have been impressed. “’Course as small as you are, being the main course is out of the question.”
Haley got her arm around Farley’s neck and pinned him against her chest. Farley continued to thrash and her Female instincts flared in response. This was her Male, her disobedient Male, and she had to get him under control. Going on instinct she sank her teeth into the mark and struck bone.
Farley keened. The barriers he’d thrown up to close her out crashed, and she could feel him: every emotion, every ounce of anger, every fear, the sense of abandonment. A sob jerked her shoulders and tears rolled down her cheeks. No wonder he was out of control. She tasted herself in his blood and the metaphysical ties that bound them hummed.
Haley pulled, drank him, and took from him all his rage. Farley sagged against her, languid.
After a moment she released her bite, and rocked him, petting him up and down. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t understand.”
“I know.” His breath blew against her skin. “You can’t help it.”
Movement made Haley look up. Creyal was on the floor now. He crawled closer.
“Stay right there.”
“You said you didn’t have any Marks.”
“He’s my First and it’s sort of a new arrangement.” The Male reached out and Haley growled at him.
His lavender gaze pleaded with her. “I just want to ... touch. Please ... please...”
“Get out.”
Creyal dropped his eyes along with his hand. “And go where? The Clinic was burned to the ground by a bunch of EFM people. Dr. Meyer was going to help me get a place. If I go back to the Dens, the people who tried to kill me will find me.”
“Was anyone hurt in the fire?”
Creyal shrugged and sat back against the bed. “I don’t know, I was ... sort of out of it.”
“Stoned.” Haley made it a statement because she knew damn well there would be no reason for pain meds.
Creyal rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I was chemically impaired.”
“I thought you were going to quit.”
“Didn’t work out for me.” His hand inched forward and just when he was going to touch her shoe, she pulled away. A deep frown pulled at his mouth.
Farley sat up, rubbing his face, and looked at Creyal. “Fuck, you’re still here?”
“Seems To Whom you Belong isn’t very good at controlling you.” Creyal leaned back and propped his head on his hand. “And I know it’s not because of your strength or age, so what is it?” His gaze slid to Haley. “Or maybe you’re just really bad at being Kin?”
“I’ve been called worse.” She stood up and helped Farley to his feet. “C’mon, I’ve got OJ in the kitchen, and I’ll call for pizza.”
“You’re leaving?” The feral looked up at her and he stroked his stomach with a wide hand. “I don’t please you?”
“Creyal! Out!” Haley pointed to the door. “Get out of my house now!”
Creyal grinned, showing fangs. “I remember how you held me in the basement of the PD. You really don’t want me to leave. You’re just like any Human woman. You want me and you know it.” His hand went down and he stroked his denim covered erection.
“You know what? You’re really starting to get on my nerves.”
“You said I was worthy.” Creyal rolled over and came up on his knees. His head swung from side to side and he thrummed. “You said I was a beautiful Male and any Female would be proud to own me. I want to be owned.” He reached for her, but she backed away. Creyal’s face fell and his hand trembled. “Please... Let me touch you.”
“Get out, Creyal!”
“You marked him, why not me? He’s nothing but Food.”
“Get out now!”
In a blur of speed, Creyal shot right for her. He seized her by the shoulders and pinned her against the wall.
“What kind of Female are you? What Female is weak ... submissive, and stinking of chetrah sweat?” His elongated teeth grazed her neck, leaving small nicks in her skin. Haley had the urge to tear out his throat.
Yeah, like that was going to make her day go better.
Creyal opened his mouth and stroked her neck with his tongue. “The little Male can watch. I’m used to an audience.”
Haley growled. “This is your last chance, Creyal.”
“To what?” He undulated against her
. “If you were anything like a real Female you wouldn’t be standing here, too afraid to stop me.”
“I’m not afraid. You’re just too stoned to scent the difference between fear and pissed off.”
He laughed. “I think I like this. You’re almost as easy as Food.”
Haley hit him. One knee into the stomach, then her palm cracked him in the nose. He went backwards and she followed him down. Her teeth punched through his windpipe, esophagus, grazed his spine. She pinned his arms, holding him immobile. The Male kicked once, then twice before falling still.
Haley felt him swallow, gag, and struggle for air. She gave him a minute to think about death, then unlocked her jaws and climbed off.
Creyal lay there trying to breathe and bleeding all over the carpet.
Looks like another job for Manny. Two cleanups in a week. It was a record, even for her.
“When you can stand, I want you out. Next time I won’t stop.” Haley paused at the doorway. “And one more thing. You have my chetrah Mother to thank for me not ripping out your throat. She taught me kindness above cruelty.”
When Haley walked past Farley, he smiled.
Chapter 34
Thirty minutes later, Haley paid the pizza guy, tipped him, and carried four boxes of Pizza Hut’s best to the counter. Farley was perched on the bar stool, angled so he could see into the bedroom.
She put the boxes on the counter. “Is he still on the floor?”
Farley nodded, seized one of the boxes and popped the top. “Mmm--anchovies, my favorite.” He ate while keeping his eyes in the other room.
Haley checked the clock. She’d called Garrett five minutes after the order and he still hadn’t called back. Which meant he was busy. Hopefully he was busy with whatever he needed to do to get Dobson’s order tossed out. The idea of showing up in the morning left a heavy, sick weight in her stomach.
“He’s up,” Farley announced.
Creyal appeared in the doorway, head down and rubbing his bruised throat. He moved across the living room and towards the door. Now that all the swagger and bravado was gone, he was awkward. He paused a few feet from Haley and gave a small, timid apology before heading for the door.
City of Dragons: Blood Bonds Page 28