“No. That’s not what I meant at all. I don’t know what I’m saying.” Marcus spewed the words out as he chased after her. “My head’s all messed up. You know what this is like. Please, Kendra.”
She was hurt by his words, but deep down she understood the desperation: the need, the life or death feeling that accompanied the addiction. She turned to face Marcus, instantly finding his sad, puppy-dog eyes. This was the reason she’d stayed with the band. She had promised to keep him happy and singing until the end of the tour. Beyond that, there was a small piece of her that wanted to give him what he craved. She remembered how she had pleaded with Hector. She had begged on hands and knees for another taste, and he’d enjoyed every moment of it. Kendra, however, couldn’t stand the suffering. She shared Marcus’s pain as if it was her own, aching with need and desperation.
“Fine, but please don’t ask me again.” Using her nail, she sliced her wrist. Blood pooled to the surface, dark and rich, a tempting cherry color.
Marcus’s eyes widened. He licked his lips in anticipation.
She held her wrist in offering to him and he accepted with no hesitation, latching onto the open wound.
Kendra felt Marcus’s withdrawal-related anxiety diminish as he swallowed.
Hunger struck Kendra hard. Blood loss was a dangerous temptation when she knew a fresh source was within arm’s reach, and she wanted his blood as much as he had wanted hers.
“That’s enough.” She pulled her wrist from his grasp, fighting back the voice in her mind telling her, It would be so easy to take him. Drain him and replenish his blood for a second time. She shook her head, trying to push away the thoughts and focus on how Marcus was doing.
He stood motionless, leaning against the wall for support. His muscles tensed as a visible shiver rolled down his body and a wave of gooseflesh pimpled his skin. Marcus let out a loud, pleasurable, “Ah.” Then slowly, he looked up. A crooked, sated smile stretched his lips.
“Feel better now?” Kendra didn’t need to hear the answer, she knew it.
“Much,” he sighed. “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean to make you think that was all I wanted. I just couldn’t think straight.”
Kendra silenced him with the touch of her finger on his lips. “I know. I was being overly sensitive. I’ve been in your shoes. I understand how hard it is.”
“I do want you, Kendra.”
Hearing him say her name like that heated her blood. She replaced her finger with a soft kiss. Marcus was ready without need of warning. He wrapped Kendra in his arms and pulled her in close, deepening the kiss as his hands inched down her back. She moaned into his mouth as he squeezed and kneaded her ass.
She broke from his lips, kissing a trail down his neck, finding the tender thumping pulse there. It called to her, begged her for a taste. Marcus thrust against her and Kendra felt the hardness of his erection. He was ready for more. She was ready for more. Too much temptation. She needed blood. Fast. Before she did something else she might regret.
She pushed back, out of Marcus’s grip. “We need to get out of here.” She barely recognized her own voice, it was so deep and husky with need.
A worried look replaced Marcus’s goofy smile. “What’s wrong?”
“Temptation.”
“We could be a few minutes late.” Marcus gave her a sly smile.
“Bad idea.” Kendra desperately wished she could give in to the temptation.
His face became serious. “You sure you’re okay to go to the concert? You’re not going to hurt anyone, are you?”
“Yes, I’m fine. You’re the temptation. We have to stop this. I can’t let myself taste your blood again. It would be too much to handle right now. I don’t think I could stop myself.”
“Well, then, let’s get you to the gig. We’ll explore temptation later.”
“Let’s not focus on that right now. You have a concert, and you had better be on your game.” She gave him a playful wink, hoping to keep him off the subject of bloodlust and temptation. It was best he enjoy the high while it lasted, and take that new-found power and virility and turn it into a great performance.
***
The view from the wings of the stage was like nothing Kendra could have ever imagined. Looking out and seeing tens of thousands of people screaming and cheering filled her with such pride, or was she channeling Marcus’s feelings again? This close in proximity it was hard to tell where they came from.
Hundreds of lights in various colors and intensities danced around the stage as the band prepared for their entrance.
Screams and cheers came from all directions. Though not everyone in the crowd was saying the same thing, one name rose high above all the others, Normal Paradox—the band’s name. It echoed in waves as the crowd cheered and the band members took their spots.
The energy of the venue was a constant buzzing electric current that amplified with the first chord from Mike’s guitar and continued until the final cymbal crash an hour and a half later.
The boys, drenched head to toe in sweat, but still bouncing with adrenaline-fueled energy, strutted off of the stage. The crowd cheered and screamed, begging for an encore.
“Two minutes, guys, dry off and get back out there,” Troy called as he grabbed a towel and tossed it over his thick dreadlocks.
Marcus swooped over to Kendra and pulled her in close for an unexpected kiss. His tongue requested entrance to her mouth, and for a moment, she forgot what she was. Taken by the moment and the shear bliss of being held in Marcus’s arms, she matched the intensity of his kiss.
“C’mon, man, encore, let’s go!” Mike said as he slapped Marcus on the back. “Take up necrophilia some other time. We still have work to do.”
“Ignore him,” Marcus said in a breathy whisper.
Kendra turned away, and Marcus landed another kiss on her cheek. “He’s right, you have work to do.” Kendra took a quick step back, out of Marcus’s embrace.
“Later, then.” A sparkle glinted in his eyes. He radiated a wave of desire so strong it make Kendra’s stomach flutter with butterflies. She would love to give into that mutual yearning, but knew better of it. She had to stay focused on reality. She was only here to keep him on track until the tour ended; and at that moment, he needed to get back on stage and do his encore.
She grabbed a towel and tossed it at Marcus. “Clean up and go give the crowd what they want. I’ll see you back in the bus. Don’t party too hard backstage.”
Marcus rubbed the towel over his brow and mussed up his hair. “Won’t you be there?”
Sadness, like the slice of a knife ripped into her heart. Why did this have to be so hard? She would love to be there, but she knew she would only distract him. Fans would be clamoring around asking questions, taking pictures, asking for autographs, and he needed to focus on them.
“That’s your time with the fans. I’ll be around after.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“You’ve got me until the end of the tour, remember?”
“Maybe longer?” Marcus looked longingly at Kendra.
Troy tossed a drumstick at Marcus, hitting him in the arm. “C’mon dude, let’s go.”
Why did Marcus have to be so good? “Go.” She pulled the towel out of his hands and whipped him with it.
With a smile and a sense of renewed hope, Marcus turned and trotted back out to the stage. She hated knowing she was going to have to break his and her own heart, but there was no way they could stay together.
As Marcus began his encore, Kendra trudged down the back stairs and headed toward the bus. A cold sense of dread met her as she stepped outside.
Playtime is over, darlin’, a deep voice whispered in her mind.
Every muscle in her body tensed hearing those words. Kendra reached out with her senses but couldn’t determine the direction the voice spoke from.
A lump formed in her throat, and she struggled to swallow against it. Had she imagined it? Surely if Hector were around, she
would sense him. She’d been hearing his voice for some time now; only this time it sounded more real and close enough that he could have whispered it into her ear. If she was hearing him that closely, he might be near. If he found her with the band, he’d hurt them as well.
She couldn’t let him do anything to the guys. They might hate her for this, but she had to leave while there was still a small chance. Missing a few shows was nothing compared to the danger Hector presented. He wouldn’t think twice about destroying them. In fact, she knew he’d enjoy it. The perfect punishment, killing off the last remnants of her humanity and spirit in one fell swoop.
She walked past the bus, heading for no destination in particular when Hector’s voice teased her again. Where are you going, darlin’?
“Get out of my head!” Kendra yelled.
Cackling disembodied laughter filled her mind, and then slowly faded to silence.
“Something bothering you?” Gary called after her.
Kendra turned to find him standing on the top step of the bus. “I can’t stay here,” Kendra said, panic sharpening her voice.
“We’re leaving in the morning,” he said in a confused tone.
“No, not here.” Kendra’s heart thumped loudly in her ears. Fear had her jumping at the sound of cars passing on the nearby freeway. “I can’t stay with the band.”
He cocked his head sideways and arched an eyebrow at her. “You and Marcus fighting already? Those groupie girls don’t mean anything to him. Don’t let them bother you.”
Kendra didn’t know if Hector actually knew where she was, but she didn’t want to take the chance, with Marcus’s life hanging on the line.
“No, it’s not that.” She struggled with what to tell him, not wanting to divulge her secret. She had to say something though; she couldn’t leave without giving Gary a reason to tell the band.
Before she could utter another word, Gary walked down the steps of the bus. He closed the distance between them and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind my butting in. I try not to get involved in the personal stuff. But there is something about you. Marcus is acting different. And I think it’s all to do with you.”
“I’m no good for him, Gary.”
“I don’t believe that for a moment.” He urged her to walk toward the bus. “You’ve woken up his spirit. He’s happy and full of life. It reminds me of how he was in the beginning, so full of hope and promise. I don’t want to see that go away.”
Kendra groaned inwardly and cursed herself; she knew exactly what she’d awoken in him. She looked up, meeting Gary’s eyes. Beyond the crow’s-feet and bags, there was a sparkle of hope. She sensed his fatherly affection for Marcus and the hope that she would be the one to finally make him happy. It tore her heart to shreds. She wanted to be the one to make Marcus happy, but there were too many obstacles in their way. It just wasn’t meant to be.
Sometimes, though you want something with all your heart, fate takes it away. The universe has its reasons, and we just have to accept them.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She knew what she had to do, though she hated herself for it. Kendra reached out with her mind, delving deeply in through Gary’s eyes, and locked on to his subconscious.
“Gary,” she called in a low whisper. “You will forget that you saw me here—”
“What are you doing?” Mike shouted from somewhere behind her. “Get away from him. He’s not your dinner.”
Gary stood semi-conscious in front of her, still dazed from her attempt to wipe his memory.
“Nothing. We were just talking.” Her words came out with a growl. “What are you doing out here? Where’s your mob of fangirls? Did you scare them away with your stunning personality?”
“I came out here to get you. Marcus keeps going on and on about you leaving. He’s bumming everyone out. You’ve really fucked him up, dead girl.” His face was full of contempt as he stepped in between her and Gary.
“I need to leave.”
“So, what? You were just gonna take a bite out of old Gary here? Have a quickie for the road?”
“I’m not the monster you keep trying to make me,” she snarled at him. “Gary was trying to stop me from leaving. I was telling him to go back into the bus when you rudely interrupted us.”
“That’s not what it looked like from my angle.”
Anger flared inside of Kendra. How could he accuse her of anything? She’d been on her best behavior the entire time she’d been with the band.
Before she could say anything else, Gary shook himself, and returned to consciousness. “Whoa. When did you two get here?” he said, scratching his head.
“Just came out here to get Kendra,” Mike said, in a cheerful voice. “Marcus needs her inside.” He smiled broadly and grabbed Kendra by the elbow, pulling her away from Gary. “C’mon. Let’s not keep him waiting.”
She walked toward the building with Mike still holding tightly to her arm. “Why are you doing this? You don’t want me here. Let me just leave.”
“You’re right. I don’t. But Marcus does, and this band is our life. We’ve worked ourselves to death to get this success and now that we have it, we’re not screwing it up. If that means I have to deal with a freak of nature for a few weeks, so be it. The show must go on.”
“That’s the first real thing you’ve said to me. Maybe there is a person under that prick-ish exterior.” She pulled away from his grip with a small jerk of her elbow. “But as much as I’m happy to see you wanting to do the right thing, you have to understand I’m trying to do the same. I’m a danger to you. What’s more important, your life or your band?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Why am I bothering to talk to you? It’s a warning, not a threat. I need to leave.”
“You need to keep Marcus happy. That’s what you’re here for.”
She knew she was in a losing battle, and it was time to come clean. She needed to make the band understand exactly how dangerous a situation she was in and that missing a few concerts was nothing in the grand scheme of things. Once they were all settled back in the bus, she would explain everything.
Chapter Eight
IT’S HARD TO SAY GOODBYE
The backstage party seemed to drag on for hours, and by the time they got back to the bus, no one was ready for any lengthy conversations. It took a fair amount of pleading and finally a bit of mental control to get the boys to sit down and listen to Kendra.
“Why won’t Hector just let you go?” Troy asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.
“I’m his property, so to speak. He made me and likes the fact that he can control me.”
“Are all vampires like that?” Chad asked, while stifling a leonine yawn. “I mean, possessive and jealous?”
“I’m not. So I guess that answers your question.” Kendra said with a hint of annoyance.
“Yeah, well, you’re a sweet girl,” Chad smiled at her. “You probably shouldn’t have been a vampire. What about others?”
“Thanks for that.” Kendra folded her arms in front of her chest. “Vampires are the same as regular people, I guess… only with different diets.”
“Can’t blame Chad for asking,” Mike said with a sneer. “It’s not like we’ve ever met a vampire before you.”
Kendra’s shoulders slumped, and she relaxed in her seat. “Sorry. I’m just a bit tense. I’m worried. Hector isn’t a nice guy by any stretch of the word. I have to leave… for your sake.”
Troy leaned forward in his seat, elbows on his legs, propping up his head in his hands. “Why did he turn you in the first place?”
“He’s a collector. Instead of objects, he collects people and treats them like objects. We’re like puppets that he can control and use for whatever purpose he wants.” Kendra shuddered as she said the last words. Hector liked to control her in more than one way. He demanded obedience in everything, including—and most especially—sex.
“Has anyone ever left him?” Troy aske
d.
“He lets some of his minions have their own lives.” She cringed inwardly thinking about them. “The ones that are loyal to him.”
Amid the holes left in her memory from Hector’s mental influence, there were other terrible images flashing in her mind. She’d been passed around those minions, raped and abused. Hector called it initiation; she called it torture. His power held her in such thrall that she’d submitted to his every demand, and in turn, to theirs too. She shivered and shook, trying to fight back the haunting nightmares of her memory.
“Are you okay, Kendra?” Marcus leaned forward to the edge of the couch.
“I’m fine.” She fought back the tears and took a deep cleansing breath.
“He hurt you, didn’t he?” Marcus’s hands balled into fists. His lips pulled into a tight scowl.
She nodded and wiped her cheek. “I had to escape.”
“How many others does he have?” Troy asked.
“I don’t know. A few, a lot… It doesn’t matter. He’s a powerful vampire.” She knew if he ever found her, she’d be forced to return to that wretched life. No matter what her fate, she didn’t want Hector’s malice to spread to the band. “That is why I have to leave you. It will be bad enough if he finds me, but if he catches me with you, there’s no telling what he might do. It’s not worth your lives to finish a few more shows.”
Chad twirled the end of his long beard. “This certainly changes thing.”
“Don’t you think you should have told us this earlier?” Troy asked.
“Things moved a bit fast that night I met you guys. It wasn’t like I had time to plan. You all pretty much told me I had to join you. And, I have to admit, I kind of liked the option. Now that I’ve had a chance to think about the consequences, it’s just not right.”
“Yeah, we would have dealt with Marcus’s mood swings if you’d told us about the power-hungry vampire overlord hunting you, and anyone who chooses to help you, down.” Chad said in an oddly calm tone.
Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set Page 124