The abrupt arrival in Madame G’s office made them all stumble backward, releasing their hold on each other.
Rhys staggered a little more than the rest, his head shaking, weaving on his feet. For a non-vampire, flashes could be like riding the merry-go-round for an hour; the world doesn’t quit spinning.
R and Z wore puzzled expressions. X acted as if she was clearing her head, too.
Rhys, hands outward to steady himself, moved slower. X took the opportunity to scan around. No malevolent force was storming out of any hidden nook or cranny.
They all spun toward a wall at the sound of a strangled cry and Madame G’s yell. “Another attack you didn’t see?”
“The seer is behind this panel.” X rushed to it and hit the lever she saw Madame G use the last time she was in the office.
The panel swung open with a whoosh. Madame G displayed rare emotion on her porcelain face. Shock at the appearance of guests in her office, along with a heavy amount of rage, twisted her mouth and a deadly light shone in her black eyes.
The enraged mistress had a firm hold on the seer’s chin. The seer herself had a calm demeanor. Her eyes shimmered with fright and…resignation. The female thought she was going to die today.
Since she was a seer, she was probably right.
Madame G glared at X and the rest of the group, before turning her churning gaze back to the seer. “You pathetic creature. You thought you could deceive me?”
She raised her other hand, her fingernails curled into claws. X and Rhys both drew their guns, but weren’t fast enough. Madame G brutally raked her hand across the seer’s throat. X had seen a lot of carnage in her life, but Madame G nearly beheading the seer with one hand was among the worst.
She and Rhys opened fire at the madam, advancing on her.
The two Agents flashed to Madame G, forcing X and Rhys to cease-fire so they wouldn’t injure the vampires. They needed everyone at full strength.
Madame G snarled at Agent R as he appeared in front of her, while Agent Z popped up behind. Her eyes glowing with rage, Madame G threw a hand up and flung them both backward like rag dolls.
X dodged Agent R’s flying body, and just as Madame G’s eyes lost focus to flash, she dropped her gun and dived to catch a handful of the madam’s kimono.
Everything went black and then X was on grass. Gunfire popped between the trees that surrounded the compound and the Agents trying to defend it. Lifeless bodies scattered close to the building. None of them were Guardians. A large explosion shook one of the exterior walls.
Madame G above her chanted in a language X didn’t recognize. A supernatural storm brewed, the wind raged. The fight raging on around them had paused with the appearance of the dark vampire, X attached via death grip to the madam’s robe.
Rhys, try to save the seer. We’re in the courtyard. X hoped the seer wasn’t dead. She wanted answers, dammit.
In the small amount of time it took X to send the thought, Madame G noticed her. Another flash of shock in her dark eyes gave X enough time to roll quickly to the side to avoid getting stomped on by the deadly heels the madam wore.
Sucking in a huge breath as she jumped to her feet, she unsheathed a knife. If Madame G had time to call on the dark forces that had been aiding her, all would be lost.
Unseen pressure squeezed her lungs, she knew Madame G was trying to suffocate her. That might work in her office when X had no other choice but to remain compliant, but today X would not be stopped. Either Madame G or X, or both, would be dead shortly.
X whipped her knife at the madam, who spun to avoid the cut of the blade. The bullet wounds Madame G had received after nearly decapitating the seer slowed her reflexes. X drew another blade in her left hand and charged the madam before her breath ran out.
Instead of stabbing her, X pulled her right arm back and let a jab fly so fast and hard, the crack of Madam G’s cheekbone was almost worth the three weeks of torture.
The pressure on her chest released, and X heaved a mighty breath.
Madame G stumbled back, her hands cupping her face. Knowing she was no fighting match for X, Madame G sneered at her before lifting her hands high above her head. Then she flashed.
Fuck!
At the edge of the tree line, facing the compound, Madame G reappeared, her chanting increasing in volume and power. The wind buffeted and a flash of lightening raced toward the area of the compound that held Madame G’s suite.
A bolt that was strong enough to demolish the entire wing appeared to hit an invisible dome. X scanned the tree line until she saw Mercury a few hundred yards away with his hands raised, silver gleaming strongly through his features, while one of the twins protected him.
X smiled grimly. Madam G had gotten arrogant, increasing only her power, thinking all other creatures were below her strength. Where she had to sell or barter her soul for more power, Mercury’s abilities originated from within.
With her smile in place, X faced Madame G, who was glaring incredulously at Mercury. Then her dark eyes caught X’s, and her rage returned. Madame G threw her arms even higher, wind swirled around her skirts, and her entire body lifted off the ground from her power.
That crafty seer. Madame G was indeed ascending over the shifters, but it wasn’t going to be the way she hoped. X’s smile widened further, and she flashed.
Reappearing behind Madame G, she grabbed the evil bitch in a headlock and dragged her down to the ground, hissing. “It was me you’ve been looking for all along.”
Madame G stiffened as X’s words sunk in. X shoved her knife deep into the female’s ribs, angling it up. The madam gasped and lightening hit the ground by X’s feet.
She withdrew her knife and slammed Madame G onto her back, then straddled on top of her. The air was once again devoid of oxygen, and X jerked as she tried to take a breath. Madame G took advantage and hit the knife out of her hand.
X launched a fist into the madam’s face. The hit was enough to stall Madame G’s control and allow X to draw a breath. She pulled another knife out of her boot and peered straight into Madame G’s evil black eyes. Her look of incredulous shock was deeply satisfying to X.
“You couldn’t break me because I was meant to destroy you.” With one hand, X grabbed the madam’s chin, narrowly missing the madwoman’s fangs.
Madame G snarled in fury, her black eyes flashing a rage filled red. Using her knife, X slashed across Madame G’s throat and kept sawing the vampire’s head off and end her for good.
The wind died down further with each cut, the storm was growing weaker, but X sensed energy building, gathering under her. She gritted her teeth. She had to finish this before Madame G gathered her dark power one last time.
With a final hack, the spinal column severed. Before X could breathe a sigh of relief or celebrate her victory, the energy in the madam’s body coalesced and blew outward with a mighty roar.
A flash of light and Madame G’s body exploded. X was thrown backward, the air knocked out of her, pain shooting through her jarred bones as she rolled. The percussion deafened her, white light blinded her, heat seared her skin. An inky pit formed under the remains of Madame G and spread to gobble up every speck of the madam’s body. X scrambled further back, not knowing what the pit was, but suspecting it had to do with whatever evil forces Madame G dabbled in. X’s limbs were sluggish when she tried to scoot herself out of the way. She was bleeding profusely, her ears were ringing, and her head was pounding.
Part of Madame G’s arm lay at X’s feet. She had to move or the black hole was going to swallow her, too. Her vision doubled, she tried to shake it off. She thought someone was calling her name, but everything was muted.
So this was how it was going to go. X knew she probably wouldn’t survive the ultimate confrontation with Madame G, but she didn’t think she’d be so helpless. She felt like a newborn kitten that hadn’t yet learned to walk and had been drop-kicked down a flight of stairs.
Dimly, she was aware of more shouting, but her c
onsciousness faded and all she could do was watch the fathomless hole creep toward her.
Strong arms secured her under the shoulders. She registered the scent of her mate. Didn’t the seer make it, or did Rhys ignore her and rush out there instead? The jarring movement of him pulling her back sent waves of pain through her torn body. Darkness finally claimed her.
Chapter 4
X woke up to muted sunlight streaming through the windows of a small cabin. Shit, she hated passing out and waking up somewhere else.
Drawing in a deep inhale, she sat up and looked around. This must be Rhys’ place. She had seen the lodge that housed the main Guardians’ headquarters before and the quaint cabins that dotted the woods around it, but she’d never been in any of them. She could’ve breached their security and spiritual measures at any time but never revealed that info.
Voices murmured out on the porch. No doubt, Rhys was keeping everyone away while she healed. The sonic boom Madame G created when X beheaded her was pretty damn epic. It almost shattered X’s body along with it. If she hadn’t fed from Rhys that day, she might not have withstood the explosion. Without Rhys to pull her away from the evil black hole that came to claim Madame G, she would’ve been sucked in, too.
As if her thoughts conjured him, she recognized the swagger of his footsteps as Rhys entered the cabin. He peeked his head in the bedroom to check on her.
She must look like a hot mess. The longer part of her hair was tangled like an eagle’s nest swirled high on her head, and she had G-splatter all over her clothes. Rhys was considerate enough not to change her while she was passed out. He knew about the unpleasantness many experienced while unconscious at the Sigma compound.
Instead, he had stretched her over a top sheet in her torn, sooty clothing. She scanned herself. Most of her gear survived. A few hours of cleaning with a Q-tip and it might not stink like blown-up-bitch anymore.
“Hey,” Rhys greeted her. “E was here checking on you. Actually, he hasn’t left, been a pain in the ass since we got back.”
The corner of her mouth quirk up. It’d be good to talk to him. She had missed him, been happy for him, but never expected to be able to just hang out with him again.
Her irritated mate ran a hand through his short hair. “I told them all to wait until you’re ready.”
She arched an eyebrow. All?
He nodded, exasperated that there was so much attention on his cabin. “There’s E, and then Ana wants to meet you. At least she has the sense not to be so damn pushy. Of course, your niece and nephew want to see you. Ronnie’s all casual, but Sarah’s like a yapping Chihuahua.” He gave his head a shake. “Dani’s been by, too, but Dante’s keeping her pretty busy.”
Dani Santini. X had been pretty damn relieved when that girl’s situation rolled out well. A few mental pushes and a pregnant Dani busted her way out of Sigma and ran into the arms of Mercury. Their bond overrode the one Madame G had tried to create with the baby when she impregnated her with Mercury’s semen. Dani and Mercury were happily mated and raising their baby.
X had a role in the lives of many of the humans and shifters who resided at the lodge. Not all of their interactions had been good. While her partner E, her niece and nephew, and Dani might hold X in high regard, there were several others who held a heavy grudge. Just because Bennett’s and Mercury’s mates may not despise X, the shifters each had several scars from fighting with her.
Then there was Jace and Cassie Stockwell. X had befriended Cassie so she could capture the couple and hand them over to Madame G. The only way she helped the pair was to clue Cassie in that in order to break Madame G’s hold over their mating, Cassie would need to stab Jace in the heart with their mating dagger. He resented X for that.
Rhys probably carried the worst of the scars from her. She didn’t use her silver-lined blades when she could get away with it. Against the Guardians, she and E had to fight like Agents. The other Guardians might not be so forgiving, but here was proud and honorable Rhys Fitzsimmons, after all she put him through.
She owed a lot to Rhys. According to him, she owed him nothing; she was his mate, he would do whatever he needed to for her. To say he was a good male would be an understatement. He wouldn’t force their mating, would wait however long she needed him to, and he wouldn’t expect her to put out until she was ready.
Honestly, even after the way she had lived her life for the past twelve years, what she’d done with her body, she wasn’t ready to be intimate with him, no matter how the mouthwatering male made her burn.
What the hell was her problem?
Her problem was that she survived. She had thrown away everything but her family to get to Madame G. There was supposed to be no happily ever after for her.
Yet, here he was, ready to let her into his world. In the kitchen, making her coffee that he didn’t drink. He must’ve smelled it on her during their encounters. Oh wait…There was that one time she threw a cup in his face when the Guardians had her cornered in West Creek and she couldn’t risk shooting at him in public.
“E brought your stuff from the compound. I’ll make some lunch while you shower.” He banged around the kitchen.
X stood up and stretched. “You saying I stink?” Silence. She grinned. “Kidding. I smell atrocious.”
“You smell just fine, Alex” he rumbled from the kitchen. “It’s Madame G’s remnants plastered all over you that are starting to get ripe. Just drop your clothes on the sheet you slept on and I’ll take them out to burn.”
“Does Biggie call himself anything else now?” she called to Rhys while she stripped down.
“Nope. We tried Julio, but everyone got confused about who we were talking about, him or his son. Sometimes we say Esposito but mostly he’s stuck with E.”
Esposito. He’d always be Biggie to her and if he didn’t like it… She suppressed a snicker. If he didn’t like it, he’d know he was screwed.
“How about you?” Rhys asked, his voice barely carrying through the cabin.
She shrugged even though he couldn’t see her. “As long as there’s no ‘Agent’ in front of it.” She left it at that because truth was, she didn’t know.
In case he inquired further, she headed to the bathroom. The question bugged her and she chose avoidance for now.
Holy hot mess, Batman! X examined herself in the mirror. She was nearly healed, but she was covered in dirt, soot, and dried blood. Her hair was tangled in a mass of debris and sticky matter that had long dried. Underneath it all, the scars faded before her eyes, leaving only the ones previously earned from silver-laced weapons.
She jumped into the shower and mused at Rhys’ sparse supplies. Soap. Razor. While he had thought of a lot of stuff for her, like her clothing and the coffee, he was still a dude and clueless as to what a girl needed in the bathroom.
“Hey! Can you bring me my bag?” she shouted as she wet down her hair.
The door opened and he tossed in a bag. If things were different and they were a real couple, she would’ve flashed him or stuck her leg out and invited him in. Or just walked out buck-ass naked and gotten busy with him.
They were supposed to be mates. All they needed was a ceremony to eternally bond them together. They could be a real couple at any time now, but the idea unsettled her. The thought of having sex with him, even as warmth seeped into her center, making her insides smolder for the intense male in the other room, it was…too much. She just couldn’t go there. Not yet.
Wonder what Cassie would say? The human mate of the Guardian, Jace, was a shrink, but fuck if X was going to go to her and lay out her insecurities. She’d figure it out, like everything else in her life.
Murky, dirty water gradually changed to clear as she scrubbed, scraped, and lathered herself back to humanity. Or hybridity.
After drying off, she found scissors and clippers in her bag, and tackled her hair next. Instead of shaving her sides down, she tapered and blended her top into them, leaving the front half longer. They’d do a sassy swe
ep forward over her forehead, and when she was so inclined, she could still give herself a funky ’do.
Digging around the bag, she found her favorite pair of low-rider jeans and a pink T-shirt that read Howl University.
Time to face the world.
Rhys made sure he was gone when X stepped out of the bathroom. He left her food on the table and hoped she would stay there to eat and wouldn’t roam around without him. But, she’d do whatever the hell she pleased.
He threw the bedding and clothing into the fire pit that was already working overtime with all the gear the Guardians were going through and burning from their search of Sigma’s compound. Rhys headed back into his cabin.
Thank the Sweet Mother. She was sitting with her bare feet up on the kitchen table, the plate next to them already empty. One of his books was in her hands and she was fully engrossed. She looked extremely hot, even in just a simple shirt and jeans, and he liked her new cut. Full of attitude, like her.
Closing the book and tossing it on the table, she raised her brilliant eyes to him. “You want me to do the VIP visits here or out there?”
“Who do you want to talk to first?”
Her expression said no one. “Biggie, I guess.”
She and E had been closer than two people should be without being mates. Hell, even closer than some mated couples he knew. Rhys jutted his chin toward the cabin they renovated for E and his family. “He’s about two hundred yards behind us. Want me to go with?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Nah.” Still, she exuded great reluctance.
X had written off having any life left after Madame G was destroyed. Planning a life afterward was a luxury she hadn’t been able to afford. He couldn’t imagine the mental mind fuck she was in now.
“Holler if you need anything.”
She shot him a thumbs-up and swung her feet down. Then he watched her hips sway as she sauntered out the door wearing no shoes or socks.
The Sigma Menace Collection Page 73