Return of the Assassin (All the King's Men)

by Lynne, Donya

  "Home," he said. "I need to go home." He blinked heavily, his words slurred. "Gina. I need to go home."

  Okay, so the guy couldn't get her name right. Gina. Lorena. It was a common mistake. But again, whether he remembered her name now or never, she didn't care. She had need of only one thing: his cock inside her and his hands around her throat as he gave her rough, hard, bruising sex that would leave her nearly broken and exhausted.

  "Home it is," she said, pulling her hand out of his pants so she could zip him up. "Let's go."

  Malek pushed past her and staggered as he stood up.

  "Come on. I'll get us a cab." She hooked her arm around his and pressed in close.

  Outside, she hailed a cab and maneuvered Malek into the back.

  "Where to?" the cabbie asked.

  "Home," Malek said.

  "Like that helps." The cabbie rolled his eyes.

  She looked at Malek, who only stared back as if she was some stranger. She couldn't take him to her place. She had too many items laying around that could incriminate her, and she couldn't risk letting an enforcer, even one as scrumptious as Malek, discover where her true allegiance lay. But he wasn't volunteering his address, so this could get tricky.

  "I need an address," the cabbie said, sounding impatient.

  "Hold on a sec," she told him, and began fishing around in Malek's pockets for his ID. Even vampires had to have ID to fit into the human world.

  Once she found his wallet, she flipped it open and rattled off his address to the driver.

  "If he pukes in my cab, he's going to pay the cleaning bill."

  "He won't puke," she said, getting irritated with the guy. "Will you, baby?" She brushed her hand over Maleks' cheek, her gaze lingering on a partially healed gash that looked fresh. He must have been in a skirmish within the past hour. If the wound was older than that, it would have healed by now. Unless he was cranking a weakened system, which seemed possible enough with his gaunt, sallow features, now that she got a closer look.

  Malek just stared at her then turned to look out the window.

  "He won't puke," she said again to the driver. "Now, go." She was eager to get the party started with her prize.

  The driver put the cab in gear and drove away from the club.

  This was what she had been waiting for. A good dose of hardcore Malek. And now she was going to get it.

  CHAPTER 15

  Lakota entered the locker room of the training center behind Micah and tossed his filthy jacket over one of the benches. They all smelled like smoke. Not cigarette smoke, but rather the kind from a structure fire. The kind of smoke that stuck to your skin and hair—your very DNA— for days, clinging to every hair follicle and laying waste to the insides of your lungs. Good thing he wasn't human, or he would never breathe normally again.

  "Motherfucking arsonist." Micah unlocked his locker and swung the door open with a clang.

  Trevor, covered in soot, wandered in behind Severin. The guy was a mess. "You get this shit a lot in Chicago?"

  Micah growled. "Quit bitching, Trev."

  Lakota stared at his son as he wandered past without glancing at him. From behind, Lakota heard a faucet turn on. He turned and watched Trevor spit in a sink and rinse his mouth out. He paid the newcomer a split second of attention, and then glanced back at his son. Sev looked worse for wear, his face covered in soot just like the rest of them, but he wasn't a puss like that Trevor guy. He took the vile taste of smoke in stride, like a warrior.

  Pride swelled inside Lakota's chest. That was his son. He had grown up to be a strong fighter and an even stronger asset to his team. Lakota only wished he could take credit for Sev's fortitude, but he had given up that right from the start, before Sev was even conceived.

  He lowered his head and turned toward his locker.

  After saying sayonara to Gina and Malek earlier, he and Micah had teamed up to hunt down information on who was kidnapping and selling vampires to Bishop while Trevor and Sev struck out to see what they could find out about the Dacians.

  They hadn't been out long when a call came in about a potential pre-mutant on the South Side, so he and Micah hightailed it that direction, only to be rerouted when word of a structure fire with entrapment came in. Micah had really wanted to go after the potential mutant, because with Dacians possibly prowling around Chicago, and drecks who were kidnapping vampires for lab experiments, the last thing they needed was a trifecta of trouble, especially one that included a mutant, the deadliest creature known to vampires aside from a mated male without his mate.

  But members of Stryker's team had been closer to the mutant's location, and he and Micah had been closer to the fire, so decision made. It was fire patrol for them.

  Micah pulled a towel and change of clothes out of his locker. He kicked off his boots and yanked his shirt over his head. "Fuck this shit. I'm taking a shower, finishing up some paperwork, and going home to bury myself in my mate for the next six hours. I've been here nearly three days straight."

  Lakota sat down and glanced at Severin, who was unusually quiet.

  Trevor took off his boots. "Anyone got a spare shirt and some shorts I can wear until I can get up to my room?"

  Micah nodded. "Yeah. Follow me. We keep spares in back."

  The two disappeared and their jabbering grew quieter as they walked away.

  Lakota grabbed his towel out of his locker and stood back up. "How's things with you and Ari?"

  Sev stiffened and grabbed his own towel. "Good."

  "You happy?"

  Sev looked his direction, but kept his gaze averted. "Yeah. We're happy."

  Lakota nodded. It was good that Sev was happy. He deserved it, especially after the hell he had put that kid through by being such a bastard, absentee father all his life. If only he could go back in time and do things differently. He wanted like hell to fix all the trouble and heartache he had caused, but it wasn't entirely his choice. Sev still avoided him when they weren't being forced together like they were now, and tonight was the most Sev had talked to him since he reentered his life, which wasn't saying much since he'd said only four words.

  "I'm glad, son. I mean Sev. Sorry." Severin didn't like when he called him son, but it was so damn hard not to.

  "No, that's okay." Sev waved his hand and sighed, then finally turned and met Lakota's gaze.

  Shit, but sometimes it felt like he was looking in a mirror when he looked at Severin.

  Lakota took a step toward the showers and shook his head. "No. I know you don't like it."

  "Dad." Sev sounded impatient. Looked it, too, with his head cocked to one side and one eyebrow up.

  But that wasn't what nearly caused Lakota to trip on thin air. Severin had called him Dad.

  "Don't look so surprised," Sev said, as if reading his mind. "You are my dad, aren't you?"

  Was this some kind of joke? Was he dreaming? He swore to God that if someone jumped out and shouted, "April Fool's Day," right now, he would kill them.

  "Sure, I'm your father, but until now I didn't…you were…I thought…" Well, hell's bells, he was lost for words.

  Sev held up his hand, saving him from tripping further over his tongue. "Look, I'm tired of hating you. It's exhausting, and I just want to get on with my life. And since you seem to be so keen on being part of it…" He took a deep breath and shook his head once. "What I'm saying is that I can see you're making an effort…Dad. Okay? And Arion and I have been talking, which has made me think, and…" He paused and stood. "Look, I'm not saying it'll be easy, and I'm not saying I'm crazy about the idea, but I'm willing to work on it."

  This was more than Lakota could ever have hoped for, and it came as such a shock that he didn't know what to say.

  Once again, Sev saved him. "On one condition. About Gina…"

  Lakota bristled. Mood broken. "What about her?"

  Sev held up his hands and gently arched one eyebrow. "I just want you to be nice to her?"

  "Nice to her? She tried to kill you
, Sev."

  Sev took an aggressive step toward him. "And I forgave her." The scowl on Sev's face showed how close he was to reverting back to the old, standoffish Severin with a cursory fuck off his way. "You weren't involved in what happened. You don't know the circumstances. She thought she was doing the right thing, and I don't blame her. I'd have done the same in her shoes. From her perspective, she was doing what she felt needed to be done." Sev huffed and began to walk away, but then stopped. "You should know better than anyone that a person can make mistakes and change their stripes. I mean, you are the person who raped my mother and made me a bastard, and now you claim to have changed. Or is that all just an act, Dad? Or should I go back to calling you Lakota? Or not talking to you at all? Because I can easily do that. No sweat off my balls." Sev fixed him with a deadly glare.

  Point taken. Lakota still had much about his past to atone for, especially where Sev was concerned. He frowned back his emotions and looked away as heat flushed his face and a dull ache echoed deep inside his chest. "I'm sorry. You're right. I don't know the whole story."

  Sev sighed. "I'm willing to give you a chance to make things right with me as long as you give Gina the same consideration, but I want to know Gina's safe around you."

  Was Gina's safety that important to Sev that all it would take was him refusing to play nice with her to push Sev away again? He didn't want that. Even though Gina had tried to take his son from him, and she had trampled all over his heart in the process, he couldn't lose Severin over what had happened. Sev needed to know Gina would be safe around him. End of story. Lakota wouldn't lose this opportunity to be a part of Sev's life. Nothing was more important than that.

  "Fine, Sev. You have my word. I won't hurt her."

  Severin relaxed. "Thank you."

  Really, how could Lakota not do what Severin asked? This was more of an opportunity to make amends with his son than he dreamed he would get. So, if excusing the actions and behavior of Sev's would-be assassin was part of what it took to get his son back, so be it. He would kiss her ass if that was what it took.

  Micah reappeared with Trevor, and cast him a questionable glance. "I really don't want to know what you two were just talking about, do I?"

  Obviously, Micah had seen that last bit of his thoughts. He would need to get used to being around Micah with that mind probe shit of his.

  He shook his head. "No. You don't. And with that, I'm taking a shower." He snagged his towel.

  Sev joined him, and they walked into the shower room together. A first.

  "You know, it wasn't just Arion who convinced me I should give you a break."

  Lakota stopped outside one of the shower stalls and reached in to turn on the water.

  Sev dropped his towel and turned on the next shower over. "Yeah, Mom wanted me to be nice to you, too."

  Felice? She had gotten involved? "Oh?"

  Sev nodded. "It was pretty important to her."

  That made him smile. "How is your mom?"

  Sev shook his head and looked away with a low growl that sounded more forced than natural. "Don't push your luck. Dad." Then he paused and looked back at him with a half-smile. "You just be nice to Gina and you'll score major Brownie points with me. What she did to me wasn't her fault. Keep that in mind when you feel more inclined to stab her than help her fit in here. Understood?"

  Sev fixed him with an icy stare that would have made lesser men tremble in fear, but it made Lakota proud.

  "Like I said, you have my word."

  Sev fought back a grin and as he stepped into his shower stall. "Get cleaned up, old man."

  As the shower curtain closed behind Sev, Lakota cleared the emotion from his throat. Not much got to Lakota, but tears stung his eyes. He wouldn't let them fall, though. He was too tough for that.

  Micah and Trevor strolled in a minute later.

  "What the fuck. Are you crying?" Micah said.

  "Fuck you. No." Lakota rubbed his palm over his filthy face. "Fucking fire irritated my eyes. They sting like a bitch."

  "Uh-huh."

  A tight chuckle came from Sev's stall.

  Lakota swiped his shower curtain aside and stepped into the stream of hot water. "Shut up, Micah. You too…son."

  Lakota picked up his soap, ignoring the laughter coming from Micah, Severin, and that newbie, Trevor. Let them laugh at him. He didn't care. Because, for the first time, Sev had called him Dad.

  And that was all that mattered.

  CHAPTER 16

  The female was glued to Malek's side as he unlocked the door. Lorena, she said her name was.

  Fine. If she wanted to play, he would play, because he sure couldn't dip into what he really wanted, which was a long, luxurious soak inside an ocean called Gina. And his balls ached so badly he needed to find release somehow.

  When Lorena first came to his table at Four Alarm and introduced her hand to his dick, he had wanted no part of her. All he wanted then was Gina. His mind had been overflowing with thoughts of her.

  And now, an instant after pushing open the door, Gina's scent rushed forward, flooded him, drenched him in warmth so soothing, he almost changed his mind about bringing Lorena inside. The sound of the shower in the spare bathroom told him Gina was in there, naked, water spilling over her pristine skin. He imagined his fingertips tracing the trails of water down her breasts, over her nipples. What did her nipples look like, anyway? Were they large or small? Dark or light?

  "Oh, you have company?" Lorena sniffed the air and pushed up beside him, breaking him away from his fantasy before he could act on it.

  "A coworker." My mate. He shut the door and shoved his keys in his pocket, feeling surer on his feet now that he was home and had a whiff of the female who ensnared half his heart.

  "Mmm, will she join us?" Lorena pawed her hands up his chest, and her red lips curved into a coy grin.

  Just the thought of introducing Gina to his debasement was enough to spark his anger and put full life back in his veins. "No." He glared at Lorena, whose eyes lit with lust against his reawakened emotional storm.

  "Excellent. Because I don't feel like sharing." She took his hand and lifted it to her throat, opened his fist, and positioned his fingers around the slender column of flesh. "Now..." She grinned, and her gaze grew dark. "Hurt. Me."

  Malek stared into her light brown eyes. But it was Gina's scent that invaded him. The shower beckoned, but he couldn't relent. Gina deserved better, and this…whore deserved nothing. Which was really quite perfect, because he had nothing left to give. To anyone. All he had was pain and suffering, and if this bitch wanted that, she was welcome to it.

  He gazed down on his hand around Lorena's throat. It looked good there, and he slowly lifted his fingers and closed them again in a tighter grip.

  Lorena moaned quietly and her eyelids drooped closed. "Yes."

  If he went to Gina, he would only hurt her. Gina meant something to him. Lorena, on the other hand, meant nothing. She was nothing. Just a vessel—a receptacle he could fill without harming Carmen's memory in the same way accepting Gina as his mate would harm everyone involved.

  The difference was that Lorena wanted him to hurt her. He could give her the physical torture she seemed to crave, and so much the better, because that was exactly what he wanted to give to himself. By hurting Lorena, he killed two birds with one stone.

  His gaze lifted to her face…to her eager expression of anticipation.

  "Hurt me, Malek," she said on a low whisper.

  She got off on the pain. He could use her as his outlet, pour all his suffering out on her, and she would never complain.

  "You want pain?" he said, leaning down until his nose touched hers.

  She nodded, practically panting. "Yes."

  Her acrid arousal, sour and vile, fed his carnal debasement even more. Lorena was all he was worthy of now. Someone as nasty and decrepit as he was. Weren't they just perfect for one another?

  "You don't know pain."

  She closed her han
d over his, still around her throat, and squeezed. "Then show me."

  Oh, he would show her all right. He would take out all his frustration on her. If she wanted to be hurt, he would hurt her, because right now, all he was, was misery, suffering, sorrow, and distress. He had reached his final breaking point. Game over. His white flag flew in surrender. He could no longer fight himself. He wanted Gina but had no future with her. He still loved Carmen, but she was dead. So it was time to embrace the future he did have.

  He swung Lorena around and shoved her toward the kitchen. The scent of her arousal stung deep, hard at his soul, and he prowled after her.

  "I'll show you pain, Lorena." He pointed to the door at the back of the kitchen. "Downstairs. Now."

  She panted and grasped the doorknob, threw the door open, and backed down the stairs, keeping her lust-filled gaze on his as he stalked after her.

  Yes, whores like Lorena were his future. They were all he had left.

  * * *

  Gina had been standing under the water for the last twenty minutes. The reality that she was ready to move forward rather than live in the painful past had left a smile on her face for the first time in forever.

  She would never understand the phenomenon known as mating, or the tremendous power it held over those of her kind. The call to mate affected each vampire differently, but all to one end. To keep the race alive and thriving. Why she had tethered to Malek more strongly than other females bonded to their mates was a mystery. All she knew was that she had and that she was now a changed female. No longer was she broken and damaged. In fact, she had never felt more whole.

  After another five minutes, she shut off the water, dried off, and got dressed as she worked through how she would explain to Malek what had happened. Would she even need to explain? Perhaps she would just show him.

  She grinned affectionately at the idea of surprising him in his bed. There was no way he would turn her away. As a mated male, he wouldn't be able to resist that kind of temptation.

  Her mind was in midfantasy when the hair on the back of her neck bristled and she caught a whiff of—