Surrender

by Cassandre Dayne

  “I know that voice. Don’t you dare go off half cocked,” Mike hissed.

  Jax held the phone out and stared at Aleks, locking eyes. “Gotta go.”

  “Jax! Don’t you dare! Jax…”

  Jax laid his phone on top of the pile of clothes and slowly walked toward Aleks. “My girlfriend was taken by this fucking monster. Whatever you’re hiding, you tell me now or I swear to you, I will fucking kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand me?” His voice shaking, it was laced a dangerous tone.

  Aleks cocked his head as if deciding. “Then we work together and what you’re going to see Detective Steele I can no longer control. Everything you’ve ever known about your world and your safety will be challenged. If we do this, this ends my way. Do you understand? No longer are you a cop. Now, you become a warrior.”

  “You asshole! You may have gotten my girlfriend murdered!” Jax snarled.

  Aleks turned and flashed a dark look, his eyes becoming nothing more than flecks of golden streaks. “Then I guess we work together closely, lover as you now belong to me. Follow your instinct.”

  His heart racing, Jax nodded slowly. “You don’t understand my past and what I’ve been through.”

  “Yes, Jax. I do and it has nothing to do with newspaper articles. Come.”

  ***

  Aleks had no choice and he knew it. Seething, he had a terrible suspicion about what was really going on and if his instincts were correct, he was already too late to change the damning future. Jax would see his kind and what they were and while he understood what it might mean, there was little else he could do. Nikolay had upped the stakes. Taking the cop’s girlfriend was for no other reason than to draw them together. Unfortunately the humans in the city needed to blame someone. Why did he not smell complete deceit on Stuart? The puppeteer behind the ploy would also burn in the fires of hell. Brother or no brother, Nikolay would die. The plan had been laid out well and he had fallen into it. The human would pay with his life. There was no doubt Felicity was another target and he fully suspected she could lose her life for her duplicity.

  “The gallery?” Jax asked as he stared out the passenger window, his foot tapping on the car floor.

  “Yes. He’ll know where she was taken.”

  Jax looked over slowly. “Why?”

  Exhaling slowly, Aleks tried to figure out how and what to tell him. “As I mentioned to you before, there are some things not of this world. There are dark sides working against each other in a war and unfortunately it’s come to your soil.”

  “Christ! Let me guess. You’re into the whole God damned belief about vampires, right? What are the werewolves coming next?” Jax glared at him as he shook his head. “Un-fucking believable. What are you hinting at?”

  Gripping the steering wheel, Aleks jerked the car around a sharp corner and gunned the engine. “There are things you can’t understand Jax and there’s no time to explain. I’m a man that you would consider a monster.” There was no time to ease Jax into understanding about his life as a perceived monster. He would learn soon enough. Turning his head, Aleks opened his mouth and raked his tongue across his elongated fangs.

  Jax blinked and then burst into laughter. “You expect me to believe this bullshit? Don’t insult me.” Sucking in his breath, he looked away.

  “You were bitten by a very powerful vampire and he gave you the sickness of the blackness of death and if you hadn’t taken my blood two nights ago you would now be dead or as some say the undead. Remember the evening, Jax and believe.” As he pulled behind the gallery and stopped the car, he tilted his head and watched as Jax struggled to remember.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Yes, you do. We’re not only lovers, Jax Steele. We’re entering into a relationship that will drive my kind into the future and secure yours in a place you’ve only dreamed of.

  “No…I…” Opening and closing his mouth, Jax struggled with the information until he gripped the door handle, pitched open the door and threw himself outside. In slow motion he fell to the ground gagging.

  Aleks climbed out of the car and groaned. “You’ll be fine and no, I didn’t turn you. You’ll need a blood transfusion after this is over so that you remain human until the time is right. Come. We have a minion to take care of.” Refusing to wait, he strode to the back door of the gallery and ripped it open, jerking the metal door out of the frame. Sniffing, he knew the man was inside. As he adjusted his eyes to the dim lighting, he hissed. Gliding further into the interior, Aleks found Stuart hovering in his office. Snarling, he exposed his fangs and stalked toward the ugly little man. “You betrayed me. You know more of our kind and while you plied me with lies you allowed harm to this city.”

  “I…I can explain…I…” Jerking to his feet, Stuart hugged the back wall, whimpering.

  Jax moved behind Aleks. “Wait a minute here. What is…”

  Cocking his head, Aleks hissed. “As I said to you Jax Steele, this world is not what you imagine it to be.” Snapping his head back toward Stuart, he closed the distance and wrapped his hand around Stuart’s throat, lifting him up off the ground. “Where did they take the woman?”

  Struggling to breathe, Stuart coughed as his body shook, his legs bouncing against the wall involuntarily. “I…it’s not…please!”

  “Let him down!” Jax snapped. “Whatever the fuck you are, if this freak is the only connection to Amanda, he has to live.”

  Snarling, Aleks shook his head. “Very well, cop.” Dropping Stuart, Aleks leaned forward and raked his fangs across Stuart’s neck. “Where is she?”

  “He’ll kill me!” Stuart whined.

  “I can take care of Nikolay and you’ll die here if you don’t tell me and I assure you, I will rip you apart while you’re alive and enjoy draining your blood,” Aleks said, the timbre of his voice filled with the promise of danger.

  “Who is this Nikolay?” Stuart asked, inching away from Aleks.

  Aleks sniffed the man and grunted. “Yes. My instincts were correct. We have another player and one that I know. Interesting.”

  “What does that mean?” Jax asked, his eyes never leaving Aleks.

  “Who is this creature?” Aleks asked Stuart as he gazed around the perimeter of the room.

  A slight smile curled across the edge of Stuart’s mouth. “One of your protégés. I assume you came for your required meeting.”

  “Who, little man?” Aleks could detect the two distinct scents. Stuart had been with both a short time before.

  “What’s going on here?” Jax whispered as he brushed his hands through his hair. “Aleks, let him go and you need to talk to me now.”

  “You really don’t know, do you detective?” Stuart asked as he tilted his head. Smiling, he moved away from Aleks, gripping the edge of the desk.

  “Know? You’re a part of this? Are you responsible for killing those boys?” Jax asked as he closed the distance.

  “I…no…I was only…a part of… They forced me. I had no choice as you have no choice but to do this creature’s biddings. You’re all fools. They live among us and you don’t even know it!” Stuart hissed.

  “Who…is…he? Who’s betrayed my kind?” Aleks snarled.

  Stuart’s eyes opened wide as stared around Aleks, his body shaking. “I didn’t…tell him…”

  The chuckle was dark and ominous and Aleks recognized it immediately. “Logan.” Aleks turned around slowly and stared at his old lover. “I thought you were dead.”

  “By all rights I should be, given the treatment you gave me,” Logan breathed. “You left me in ruins like trash after you turned me.”

  “You were uncontrollable.” Aleks cocked his head. Seeing Jax out of the corner of his eye, he sighed. The plan was almost perfect and one that might destroy them all. Using the single moment that he regretted, Nikolay had played the last card well.

  “What in the fucking hell is going on?” Jax asked. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

  ”Well, you’ve learned my
secret. I assure you cop that I am more than just dead. I’m a creation of this freak of nature.” Logan chuckled. “Your next snack, Aleks? He reeks of your filth.”

  “Did Nikolay treat you well? Did he make promises to you? Did he offer you a place at his side if you took me down?” Aleks moved toward Logan. While he couldn’t detect another vampire in close proximity, he knew they were all in danger.

  Moving to the right, Logan inched closer to Jax. “You’re such a fool and always were. You believe in humanity still and that was your downfall and why I was able to perform such delicious little tasks right under your nose, you pathetic freak. You tried to copy me with all your lovers that you drained their blood and allowed them to live while you decided to kill me!”

  Aleks snarled, his fists clenching open and closed. “I loved you and believed in you and you were determined to use your gift to slaughter humans.”

  “Slaughter? It was called feeding,” Logan snarfed.

  Aleks heard the click of the safety being released on Jax’s gun and sighed. “Sadly boy, you don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself in the middle of.”

  “I know enough to realize I’ll share a throne,” Logan said as he grinned, his blackened eyes turning toward Jax.

  “Then you’re a fool and I’ll have to kill you!” Aleks roared.

  “You can’t kill me and besides, don’t you need to protect your little human boy?” Logan laughed as he inched closer to Jax.

  Aleks concentrated on his powers. Still weak from nonuse, there was only so much he could do to protect Jax. Logan was strong and had vampire blood infused in his system. It was the sweet stench that threw him. Lifting his head, he narrowed his eyes as a realization hit.

  Jax inched the gun from the holster and pointed the gun directly at Logan. “Whether you boys are creatures of the night or not, I’m gonna guess that a few bullets in strategic locations will get your attention. Now we’re gonna do this the right way. Where is the woman you’re holding and perhaps I can get you life instead of the chair?”

  Logan burst into laughter and in a split second bounced Jax off the back wall, almost snapping his neck. Lifting his head, he exposed his canines and raked his sharp nails down the length of Jax’s chest, drawing strings of blood.

  “Fuck!” Jax wheezed as he fumbled to keep to his gun. Pitching to the floor, he coughed and tried to maneuver away from Logan’s hold.

  “Die, fucker!” Raising his arm, he angled his sharp claws down, preparing to slice open Jax’s chest.

  Aleks snarled and jerked Logan off Jax before the monster finished the deathblow. “No!” Pitching him across the room, the sound of glass breaking permeated the room. Shards of jagged pieces spewed across every surface.

  Stuart screamed and barely moved before Logan slammed into his body. Dropping on all fours, he crawled through the shards to the other side of the room, whimpering.

  Logan snapped to his feet and crouched over, ready for the fight. “It’s you and me, Aleks. You’re all I’ve wanted since the day you booted me out of your life.”

  “You wouldn’t listen to me. You continued killing and ravaging,” Aleks took two strides, kicking out with a hard jab and catching Logan squarely in the chest.

  “Now I’m going to kill you, Aleks and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Logan laughed as he flew off both feet, crashing into Aleks. Tumbling to the floor, the two vampires rolled.

  Aleks didn’t want to kill the boy but there was no controlling him and he had been hired to kill. Concentrating, a rush of power filled his system. As he tipped his head back and roared, he rose to his feet, lifting and pushing Logan hard into the wall. “One chance. You tell me where Nikolay is and I’ll allow you to live.”

  “You have no control over me any longer, Aleksandr.” Smiling, Logan opened his mouth, exposing his fangs.

  Stuart stumbled away and moved toward his desk.

  Jax struggled to his feet, snatching the gun from the floor. Panting, he raised it and concentrated on Logan.

  Hearing the sound of the gun, Logan hissed and lunged toward Jax.

  Aleks grabbed Logan by the neck and plunged his nails into his jugular. Slamming Logan hard against the wall, he lifted him off the ground and cocked his head. “What you don’t understand is that I’m your maker which means I can kill you.” Rearing back his head, a high-pitched keening howl erupted from his mouth. The death call would be heard and felt by the betrayer and was meant as a warning. His only hope was that he hadn’t condemned the woman to her death.

  “No!” Screaming, Stuart grabbed a sharp instrument and raced toward Aleks.

  “Stop!” Jax screamed.

  Aleks plunged his fangs into Logan’s neck as the sound of a single gunshot rocketed through the room. As he drank from Logan’s neck, he heard Stuart’s strangled whimper and Jax’s anguished moan.

  Logan struggled to free himself and as he kept his eyes open, he smiled. “You…think…you’ve won…” Licking his lips, he panted, his body jerking up and down as his life was drained.

  Aleks hissed and a part of what was left of the man that had once been in his soul ached for the boy he thought he could love. As his body slowly disintegrated, Logan’s eyes grew heavy.

  Raking his nails across Aleks’ shirt, Logan’s breath came in scattered pants. “You…were…fooled.”

  Aleks jerked back from Logan and snapped his neck, allowing the remainder of skin and bones to fall to the floor. Wiping his mouth, he turned slowly and stared at Jax, who stood shaking over Stuart’s dead body.

  As Jax lifted his head, tears fell from the corners of his eyes. “What are you?”

  “A fool.” As he glanced down at Logan, he realized exactly where the woman had been taken and he had a terrible feeling that they would find two dead bodies when they returned. Seeing the ruby encrusted dagger in Stuart’s hand, he tipped his head back and roared. Dropping to his knees, he lowered his head. “What have I done?” Grabbing the instrument of death, he snarled.

  ***

  “Yeah, Mike. It was brutal. His body is in the gallery.”

  “How the fuck did you know it was him?” Mike asked, his voice quiet.

  “He was Brent’s guest and I followed him.” Lying to Mike wasn’t the best option but there was no way he could tell anyone what he had just witnessed. Not only was he not sure if he was stark raving mad but the city was already in lockdown from terror. They needed a killer. Planting evidence in the gallery wasn’t his finest hour but corroboration would be needed to conclude the case.

  “Shit man! You’re going to get into all kinds of shit trouble with the Sergeant but I’m damn glad you followed your instincts this time. You okay?”

  “Fine Mike. I just have a few scratches.” Gazing down at his bloody shirt, he stole a glance at the man, the vampire who was driving. Shivering, he fought all the ugly demons that were dancing in the back of his mind. This was simply outrageous and while he wanted to laugh hysterically, he realized that this wasn’t over yet and the worst was yet to come.

  “All right, buddy. The team is on their way. What about Amanda?”

  “I think we…I might know where she is.”

  “We? Damn it, guy. I’ll let this go but you’re going to have to talk to me. Do you need backup? What am I saying? Where the hell are you? You have got to stop being a rogue cop here. You’re going to get Amanda killed.” Mike grumbled under his breath.

  ***

  “Please trust me, Mike. Please. Give me an hour and I promise I’ll let you know.” Jax closed his eyes. Please God, let her be okay. “I’ll call you.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I mean it.”

  “There’s one more thing.”

  Jax hissed. “What?”

  “The club owner is missing. There are no signs of a struggle but there are signs that she didn’t live alone.”

  Jax turned to gaze at Aleks. “A man?”

  “A child.”

  The news was more than fascinating. “Okay
. Put out an APB on her and for God’s sake don’t let the press get any of this.”

  “I hear you man.”

  Hitting end, Jax held the phone to his forehead. “Where are we going, exactly?”

  “To the one place that I know he took her.”

  “Who? Who the fuck are you talking about? Who the bloody Goddamn hell do you think is doing this and what in God’s name is wrong with me? I’m losing my mind!” A child? Whose child?

  “My brother but I fear another.”

  Jax sucked in his breath. “You mean to tell me there are two of you? And what do you mean you fear another?”

  Aleks sighed. “When we find them then I’ll tell you everything but time is of the essence.”

  “I’m smack in the middle of this. Why?”

  Turning his head, Aleks narrowed his eyes. “Because you were born into history and you don’t know how important you are to my people.”

  “Your people. Christ! I’m losing my mind!” Snarling, Jax shook his head. “This is ridiculous. You want me to believe you’re a vampire and…”

  “Tell me Jax Steele, did you ever have dark dreams as a child and ones so bloody that you were terrified to tell anyone?”

  Opening and closing his mouth, Jax shivered. From the time he could remember he dreamed in vivid color of monsters that ravaged the souls of all that he came in contact with. “Talk to me about the ancient marking on your portrait.”

  Aleks sighed. “It’s an ancient crest from my family, why?”

  Seeing no reason to lie, Jax turned to face him. “I’ve seen it elsewhere.” Sensing Aleks was going to say little, he continued. “It’s believed to be dating all the way back to the beginning of time. Few examples exist and the ones that do are locked away, feared by many religions. Some say it denotes evil.”

  Aleks shook his head. “Yes, detective and it’s a very important piece in my family. What does it have to do with the case?”

  “The symbol was burned into the bodies of the victims. We never allowed that piece out in the public”