Midnight Temptation

by Shari Nichols

  This is my will, so mote it be.

  Gillian chanted the spell over and over again. She pulled Brooke into a hug and waited, hoping and praying for the magick to take hold. After a few minutes, Gillian leaned back and glanced at Brooke, who sat up straight.

  “How did you find me?” Brooke blinked as though awakening from a deep sleep.

  “I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now we need to find a way to get the hell out of here.” Gillian searched the bathroom and her heart skipped a beat. No window. She paced back and forth, trying to come up with a plan. Her gaze caught on the gold tassels wrapped around the draperies. “I have an idea, but we need to hurry.”

  By the time Gillian and Brooke made their way from the bathroom, they looked totally different than when they’d walked in. Switching costumes, Gillian had tossed the black wig in the trash and used her dagger to cut the sleeves and the front of Brooke’s white dress into something resembling a mini toga. She’d taken the gold tassels off the draperies and wrapped them between her boobs and around her waist like a sash. Then, she performed one last bit of magick, weaving a spell to change Brooke’s appearance and her scent.

  They headed down the hallway and chaos exploded all around them. Shrieks and screams tore through the air. Cops dressed in riot gear cut through the crowd, pointing what looked like high-powered rifles and silver stakes at the vampires throughout the house. Gillian stole a glance at Brooke, who looked like she’d pass out at any moment. “Don’t make eye contact with anyone.”

  They continued toward the back of the house. “We’re out,” she said into her mic and tried to hurry their pace.

  Brooke stopped walking and began to shake. “I’m not going to make it, Gillie. You go without me.”

  “No. We’re almost there. I’ve got you. Hold onto me.”

  “Walk to the terrace and down the steps. Past the lawns, you’ll see a white delivery truck,” Cayden replied. “You’re doing great.”

  When they got to the doors to the terrace, the chaos continued there. Police helped the women out of the fray and escorted them into black vans. Gillian and Brooke stayed clear and walked across the long expanse of the patio, past the outdoor couches and Chinese lanterns. Blazing fire pits lit their path to the stone steps.

  “Keep coming,” Cayden murmured. “I can see you.”

  They cut across a grassy knoll until Gillian finally heard the rumble of an engine. When they got to the delivery truck, she slid the door open and practically shoved Brooke into the back. “Thank God.”

  Gillian collapsed into the seat and took off her mask, shaking from head to toe.

  Cayden turned to face them and concern flashed in his eyes as he looked over at Brooke. “Are you okay?” He flicked on the interior lights inside the van.

  Her head slumped forward on her chest, her breathing now labored. Gillian touched her hand. “She’s ice cold. Brooke? What’s wrong?”

  “It looks like she’s suffering from blood loss. A medivac should be on the way. We anticipated something like this, but they won’t have enough blood for all these victims. We had no way of knowing there were so many.” Cayden said with a shake of his head. “I can’t risk it. We could lose her. I’m taking her straight to a hospital.” He handed her an enormous jacket from the passenger seat. “Here, put this on her.”

  Gillian wrapped the jacket over Brooke’s shoulders and held her hand, praying they’d get there in time. “Drive, please.”

  “Let’s bounce.” Cayden turned to face the front. He shifted the truck into gear and sped away, leaving the squeal of tires and the smell of burnt rubber in his wake. They drove down a dark, winding road that headed away from the estate.

  “When will this nightmare end?” Gillian asked, and then glanced over her shoulder to see if they were being followed.

  “We’re not out of the clear yet. The task force has their hands full. They’re still at the front of the house. We need to make it past the rear gate. The guards won’t be inclined to let anyone leave the property.” Cayden pressed buttons on his phone, which sat in a holder on his dashboard.

  When they reached the wrought iron gate, it was closed. Cayden stopped at the security box at the guard shack. “Quick, put the jacket over you. They’re looking for Brooke, which means trying to get away from this house of horrors is going to be a bitch. The other agents have no visual on us here. We have to wing it.” Cayden wrenched on his window. “I’m from Haven Catering. I’m just leaving. We need this truck for the next job.”

  “No one gets through the gate,” a male voice said from the other side. A light shone into the car and Gillian prayed he didn’t see them. There was a crackling noise as the guard spoke into a radio.

  After a few minutes, Cayden cursed. “He’s not opening the gate. I think they’re onto us. Time for plan B.” The van lurched into reverse and backed up. The wheels spun in the gravel. “I can try and crash through the gate, but it looks too high. There’s no way.” He glanced in the rear-view mirror. “Shit, the station guard is headed this way. Listen to me, Gillian, the gate only opens by the swipe of a card. The moment he gets here, I’ll knock him out and hand you the card. You go out the back of the van, swipe the card, and come right back. “Got it?”

  “Promise me one thing. If something goes wrong, you head straight to the hospital with Brooke. Don’t waste time coming back for me. Garrett will find a way to get me out of here.”

  “C’mon, Gillian, you can’t ask me to make that kind of promise,” Cayden shot back.

  “Promise me, Cayden!”

  He sighed. “Fine, I promise.”

  With no time to hesitate, Gillian stood on wobbly legs, trying not to throw up from nerves, and moved to the rear door of the truck. She glanced over her shoulder. The guard approached Cayden’s door, and he got out of the van, grumbling about getting to his next job. Then, he grabbed the guard by the throat and slammed his head into the side of the truck. The guard crumbled to the ground in a heap.

  Cayden took the card from the lanyard around his neck and passed it over to Gillian. “Go now. I’ll stay here with Brooke.”

  Gillian jumped from the back and ran to the guard station, trying not to trip in her heels. Once inside, she glanced at the blinking green panel and swiped the card across the board. Turning her head, she exhaled when the gate opened. She ran back toward the van and stumbled when a giant hand wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air supply. She choked and gasped as he turned her around to face him, lifting her halfway off the ground. Dangling in midair, she tried to kick him in the groin, but she missed and only managed to hit his shin.

  “Don’t even think about going anywhere.” Finally, he put her down, releasing his hold on her throat.

  Coughing, she lay on the ground, gasping for air. She glanced over at a second guard, now racing toward the driver’s door, but before he could reach it, the van zoomed through the open gate and onto the main road.

  She sighed with relief. At least Brooke would be safe.

  A golf cart pulled up and the guard pushed Gillian into the rear seat. “You’re too much trouble for your own good.”

  They sped back toward the house and came to an abrupt stop at an enormous garden set up like a maze. “There’s police up ahead,” he muttered. “Get out.” He grabbed her by the arm and nudged her along, beyond the topiary bushes, fountains, and trees set in huge terra cotta pots.

  Before she could try and make a run for it through the maze, the guard pushed her past a row of hedges and tall shrubs to a clearing. “We’ll wait here until I decide what to do with you.”

  A rustling in the bushes made Gillian glance over her shoulder. A vampire, dressed as a pirate with a patch over his eye, walked toward them. He carried an unconscious woman whose head lolled to the side.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” The guard demanded, flashing a light on the pirate. “You’ve been warned about this kind of thing. You’re not supposed to kill any of them. You stupid sonofabitch
. This place is crawling with special agents and cops. You’re not taking the rest of us down for murder.” The guard reached for his walkie-talkie “I’m calling the boss.”

  Adrenaline coursed through Gillian’s veins, making her tremble from head to toe. Her stomach roiled. She breathed in and out, willing herself not to puke in a bush.

  “Hey, there’s no need to call anyone. At least come over here and help me hide the body before the cops get here.”

  All the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Gillian recognized his voice immediately. She should, he’d been coming into the shop every day for the past three months. Lucas?

  The guard walked over to Lucas and took the woman from his arms. “Let’s get this over with.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” In one quick movement, Lucas picked up a shovel off the ground and slammed the guard in the head with a loud thwack. They both dropped with a sickening thud.

  Gillian screamed, now finally understanding the message from Natalya’s aunt. It rang in her ears like a raven’s call. Beware of the one-eyed man.

  Chapter 28

  Garrett and Smith tore from the great room and into the main hall while all around them cops and special agents fought with Lawrence’s guards.

  “Denopoulos and I are going to get Lawrence out of here,” Smith said, his gaze darting wildly around the hall. “You need to go after Gillian. I’m not sure if you heard what happened in the scuffle.”

  Garrett froze. “No. My mic got crushed. What’s going on?” He couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to her.

  “They ran into a snag. Teague managed to get Brooke out safely, but one of the guards grabbed Gillian. Thankfully, we still have contact with her, but we don’t know where he's taken her. We estimate she’s somewhere on the grounds…”

  Garrett didn’t let him finish, he was already heading out the side door to the patio. He cut across the stone path and ran down the steps to the gardens, when a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. “Gillian?”

  He raced to the sound of her voice, passing a maze and a row of hedges. He found her in a clearing with the pirate from the band holding her around the waist.

  “Get your hands off her,” he demanded.

  “Garrett? Oh my god.” Tears filled her eyes. “She’s dead.” Gillian pointed to a young woman dressed as a vampire. He’d seen her walking into the party. She lay still on the ground, next to a shovel, along with an unconscious bodyguard. “L-lucas killed her.”

  Lucas? The encroaching-piece-of-shit-musician? He was the killer? The headscarf covered most of his long blond hair. “How the hell are you involved in all of this?” Reality hit him like a punch to the gut. He remembered the matchbook. “Let me guess, you play at a club called Birch?” He must be part of the Brotherhood. “You need to let Gillian go. This has nothing to do with her,” Garrett said, trying to reason with him.

  “I didn’t expect to see either of you here tonight. Now you’ve gone and ruined my plans. She knows too much. You both do. I can’t let you leave here.” Lucas twisted Gillian’s arms behind her back, and she winced in pain.

  “I’m not going to ask you again. I thought I told you before, get your hands off my girlfriend.” Garrett took a predatory step closer to Lucas, his fingers curling into fists, ready to rip the bastard’s head off.

  “Don’t come any closer, or I’m afraid I’ll have to silence her for good,” Lucas warned. extending his fangs.

  Time to try a different tactic. He needed to do his good cop routine. What would he do if the bastard hurt Gillian? Garrett swallowed hard. “Do you know the penalty for killing a cop? I’ll tell you, automatic execution. I don’t think you want to hurt us, Lucas. Why don’t we talk about this? If you turn yourself in now, the Council will take it into consideration. You have options.”

  Gillian tried to wriggle free, but Lucas kept one arm around her waist, holding her in a death grip. Garrett wanted to pounce on him and tear him to shreds, but he was still too far away. In a matter of seconds, Lucas could sink his fangs into her neck and drain all the blood from her body. He couldn’t take a chance with her life.

  Lucas must’ve guessed what he’d been thinking because he glared at Garrett and snarled. “If you take one step closer, I’ll kill her.” He pulled out his cell and pressed a button. “I’m in the maze.”

  When Garrett’s eyes met Gillian’s in the darkness, he wished he could comfort her in some way, let her know that he’d find a way to get them out of this.

  “Why are you doing this, Lucas?” Gillian asked in a voice laced with fear, still trying to flinch away. “You’re talented. How did you end up down this road of death and debauchery?”

  Lucas frowned and seemed to take Gillian’s words to heart. “Talent doesn’t get you shit without connections. My band played at a restaurant owned by Lawrence. He told me after my set that he could help my career. The dude knows people in just about every industry. He introduced me to Malcom, and he offered me a deal I couldn’t pass up.”

  The revelation forced Garrett to gnash his teeth. “In other words, you agreed to let Malcom turn you for a chance at fame and fortune?”

  “Who the fuck are you to judge me? People do all kinds of crazy shit for their careers. In exchange, I went to work for the Brotherhood and did whatever they needed.”

  “What I don’t get is how these women ended up dead, Lucas.” Garrett had never suspected Lawrence killed the two other vics from the start. He might be the worst kind of scumbag, but he wasn’t a killer.

  “It was an accident. I couldn’t help myself.” Lucas shook his head, a note of remorse in his voice. “The bloodlust became too much. I never meant to kill Serena. I just couldn’t stop. I liked Serena, just like I liked you, Gillian. This whole situation sucks because now I have no choice but to kill both of you to keep you quiet.”

  “Wait, Lucas. You need to stop right there.” Garrett held up his hands.

  Garrett’s words caught in his throat when Malcom Von Scrivner strolled into the clearing. A black suit cut perfectly to his tall frame made him blend into the night, but the light caught on a silver dragon necklace hung around his neck. His dark hair hung past his shoulders, and framed his face, revealing a widow’s peak, and skin so translucent, it looked like chalk. He stood in front of him with the same soulless, evil glint in his eyes.

  “Let me guess, you came as yourself—a bloodthirsty monster.”

  “No, he's dressed as Aro from the Twilight movies,” Gillian whispered and tried to kick Lucas in the shin. He muttered a curse and wrapped her in a chokehold.

  Rage boiled up inside Garrett. He had to force himself to stay rooted to the spot and not lunge for Lucas’s throat. He needed to stall. “Twilight?” he repeated, not sure who or what she was referring to.

  “You should try to familiarize yourself with pop culture, Garrett, so you don’t sound like such a dinosaur. I bet you could learn a thing or two from this beautiful young lady.” The Ancient turned his full attention on Gillian and stalked closer to her. He sniffed the air. “Who might you be?”

  “Stay the fuck away from her,” Garrett shouted, not able to hold back.

  “Touchy aren’t we? Is she your girl?” Malcom taunted, skimming a finger down Gillian’s arm. She tried to turn away, but Lucas held her still. His sire’s eyes focused on the pulse point at her throat. “I can see why. She’s quite fetching.”

  “She’s got to be silenced, and so does her boyfriend.” Lucas broke in and glanced over at Garrett. “They know what’s going on. I, um, made another mistake. But I promise it won’t happen again.”

  Malcom glanced at the body of the girl on the ground. His lip curled into a sneer. “You’re right, it won’t. It was you who exposed this operation to the police by killing those two women and not disposing of their bodies properly. You’ll pay for being so careless.” His trained gaze zeroed in on Lucas. He smiled and whispered, “Pins.”

  Lucas let go of Gillian and fell to his knees, writh
ing on the ground in pain.

  “Garrett.” Gillian ran to him, and he wrapped her in his arms.

  “I promise I’m getting us out of here.” Garrett tried to think of an escape plan. If he moved too quickly, Malcom could be on Gillian in a heartbeat.

  “Now then, I hope you’ve learned your lesson.” Malcom raised his hand and Lucas rose to his feet like an invisible string controlled his body. “I’m afraid your services with the Brotherhood have been terminated.” His sire pulled a silver stake from his hip and stabbed Lucas square in the chest. Blood spurted from his mouth. When he sank to the ground, a gurgling sound erupted from his lips.

  Malcom turned his attention on them and sneered. “A man in love loses his edge. Wouldn’t you agree, Garrett? I don’t think your Gillian will want to watch as I stake you and all the blood drains from your body. I promise it will be quick, but I’ll drink her slowly, savor her like a fine cabernet.”

  With a roar, Garrett let go of Gillian and charged Malcom, shoving him to the ground. He caught the Ancient by surprise, knocking the stake from his hand. He punched and kicked him over and over again, bloodying his face and nose. Malcom reared up and headbutted him, knocking him back. The Ancient dove on top of him and twisted his hands around his throat. Garrett gasped and drew his weapon from his shoulder holster. He smashed the butt of the pistol into the back of his sire’s head. Malcom groaned and rolled away, gasping in pain.

  Garrett pressed the barrel to Malcom’s head. “Turn around, Gillian. I don’t want you to see this. I should’ve done this a long time ago. This is for Sadie.”

  “Ah Sadie, I’ll never forget the taste of your dear, departed sister…so sweet,” Malcom taunted and spit blood onto the ground.

  “I can’t tell you how good it’s going to feel when I blow your brains out all over this garden. It’ll take the groundskeepers a week to clean up the mess.” Garrett pulled back the trigger to cock the hammer.

  “Garrett, no!” Gillian’s voice made his hands still. “Not like this. You can’t kill him execution-style no matter what he did. You’ll be kicked off the force. Don’t sink to his level. You’re a great cop and a great man. Don’t let him take what you’ve worked your whole life for.”