Dangerous Dalliances (Maxwell Investigations) (15 page)

Madison
walked over to Dori and lifted her into her arms. “I’m going to take her to the
safest place I know,” she said simply. When Siobhan looked at her, she nodded.
“She’ll be perfectly fine.”

Siobhan
looked away from Madison and grabbed her beer. Madison knew Siobhan was hurt.
Dori was good for them. Madison could only hope that the girl found some way to
cope with that happened to Tsukiko. She flashed them both to the one person she
knew would keep the child safe.

When
Madison stepped out of her shadows, her eyebrow arched. She hadn’t expected to
find Becca unconscious under thick steel blue sheets. The person she was really
looking for stood up from his chair next to the bed and looked at her with
hardened eyes. Madison adjusted her hold on Dori’s body and smiled at him.
“Hello, Father.”

The
shadows rippled and revealed Madison standing alone with a young girl in her
arms. Victor stood protectively in front of Rebecca’s prone body and regarded
his foster daughter with cool eyes. “Madison,” he acknowledged. His eyes darted
to the child she held before returning to her. “What brings you here?”

Madison
looked at the bed again and frowned as she looked at the small woman in it.
“You turned Becca,” she said lowly. “What’s changed?” She stood silent for a
long moment and smiled sadly as she brushed a kiss into Dori’s hair. “There was
a time when I thought you would forgive me for anything,” she murmured.

Victor
nodded. “That was before you tried to make me have an aneurism.”

She
shook her head. “We both know that if I wanted you and James dead, you would
have been.” A sigh escaped her when Victor’s eyes hardened. “I’m not here to
attack you. I need someplace for Dori to be safe.”

“So
you brought her here?” Victor asked. “Why not take her to your parents? Tina is
still in denial about your current state. She would welcome you both with open
arms.”

Madison
walked over to the opposite side of the bed and gently laid Dori next to Becca.
She brushed the child’s bangs away from her face before turning to Victor.
“Because I need to open the Gates tomorrow, and she would want to stop me.”

Victor
shrugged. It pained him to watch her. From all accounts, Madison hadn’t been
herself. But right now, she was more the woman he raised more than ever. “Opening
the Gates into Abaddon isn’t a need, Madison.”

She
shook her head. “I remember right before my high school graduation, I stumbled
upon Christine’s shrine. Crispin caught me, and he ranted about how I really
didn’t have a place there. I figured if he didn’t want me, then you couldn’t
want me either. That was why I ran away and ended up in that Gargoyle nest with
Antonio.”

Victor
folded his arms over his chest as she looked at him with a broken smile. “He
never told me why you left.”

Madison
shrugged. “I didn’t want him to. Not after Casper told me everything that
happened.” She saw that Victor straightened, but pushed on. “He told me about
the Succubi Queen wanting to bed you. Only you refused her because you loved
your wife. She went into a rage and started a war between her subjects and
yours, which is what started the hunts. One day when all of you were gone,
Morrigan
convinced the nearby villagers that Christine was
going to lead them all to their deaths. So, they gathered in a mob and killed
her.”

Victor’s
emotions were closed off as she spoke of his dead wife.
“This
all happened centuries ago.
Why are you bringing it up now?”

Her
eyes turned from their normal cinnamon to blood red. “Because Pan is trying to
bring that bitch back from her own Hell, and I want her bloody carcass at your
feet,” Madison said darkly.

His
arms fell to his sides. She was starting to change in front of his eyes. Her
soft skin started to become more skeletal, and her voice was slowly becoming
more of a growl. “Madison, let me talk with the thing trying to control you,”
he said simply. When wide cinnamon eyes looked at him, he smiled. “It is quite
alright. I don’t want a fight. I just want to have a chat with Death.”

Her
eyes glowed red as a familiar smirk crossed her face. “And what makes you think
I want to talk with you?” she asked in a demonic voice.

“Because
you want to know that you exist,” Victor answered.
“If
everyone is addressing Madison, then who is to say that you are real?”

A
low growl escaped her as she moved away from him. “What do you want?
To plead with me to stop?
I’ve come too far to just let
myself remain trapped inside of some little girl.”

“Madison
is a powerful woman. You could have chosen worse.” Victor watched as she
chuckled.

“You
are correct, I could have chosen worse. As it is now, we reached something of
an agreement. If she upholds her end, she just may survive.”

Victor’s
eyes narrowed slightly. “What deals have you made?”

She
looked at him curiously. “Do you realize, everything she’s done, is for you?”
she asked. “After the first time you and I met and she really started seeing
what
Pengfei
was up to. Every move was to try and
give you vengeance.”

“Why?
Christine’s death was centuries ago.
Pengfei
would
not have been born.”

“Wrong
again,” the demon said happily. She crossed to over to the small bookcase and
found a leather bound book. Before Victor could do anything, she opened it and
easily found the page she was looking for. “Simply put, he lied. He’s a
Necromancer, which means he can pull life from the very nature around him.” She
smiled when Victor’s frown deepened. “He’s been around for nearly as long as
you. He’s just been in hiding.” She turned the book around and saw a hand drawn
picture of the Succubi Queen and her Mage consort. “We haven’t been able to
figure out his level of involvement in Christine’s death, but he needs to die.”

Victor
looked at the picture held up to him.
Morrigan
was
standing with her arms, legs and tail wrapped around a young Chinese man. His
eyes narrowed as he saw the resemblance between the image and Pan. “He’s been
killing people to keep himself younger,” he said lowly.

“Now
you get it,” Madison said before placing the book back on the shelf. As she
walked around the room, Victor saw the way her form tried to shift from her
natural human shape to something larger and more grotesque. “Pan and
Morrigan
are a small price to pay for being allowed to go
home.”

Victor’s
eyebrow arched slightly. “You mean to say you have stolen my daughter’s life,
made her kill a number of people, kidnap a little girl, and nearly kill her
mate simply because you want to go home?”

Crimson
eyes glowed. “Wouldn’t you?” she countered. As Victor continued to stare at
her, she looked at the little girl on the bed. “It’s not like I have a home anymore,”
Madison said softly. “Not after what I’ve done to Troy and the kids.” She
turned to look at Victor. “Aiden hates me now. So after all of the smoke
clears, I would like for you to look after him.”

“Madison,”
Victor said softly.

“There
are two Gates,” Madison confessed. “
Morrigan
and Pan
will be at the one in Chinatown.” She shook her head when he moved toward her.
“Dori can’t see beyond tomorrow. I know that can mean anything, but it could
also mean that I have no future. Just make sure Troy and the kids know that I
love them. And let everyone know that I’m sorry.”

“Madison,
wait,” Victor called. He barely held back a curse when she vanished from his
room. His hands shook as he slowly inhaled through his nose. She was walking
head first into danger, and he couldn’t help but want to protect her. Victor
rubbed the back of his neck as he moved to the side of the bed where his
cellphone sat. If there was a chance he could get his daughter back, he would
have to make sure everyone was in the appropriate place.

As
he picked up the small device, Victor felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked
over his shoulder and saw the little cherub Madison left behind. “Hello
Midoriko,” he said with a slight bow.

She
returned the gesture. “Everyone calls me Dori,” she said softly. “You’re the
Vampire King, aren’t you?”

Victor
smiled at the loaded question. “I turned the crown over to my son. I am the
former King.”

Dori
nodded to herself. As she returned to her prone position, she wiped the tears
from her eyes. “The Four Lords are going to end it all tomorrow. I’ve seen that
much,” she said before falling asleep again.

* *
* * *

Crispin
watched as Dylan paced across their borrowed bedroom. After arriving at
Dennis’s home and finding both Kayin and Troy sleeping peacefully, everyone
thought it best to simple stay at the wolf alpha’s home. “I just received an
email from Lacey. She and Antonio landed in Germany safely. She’s excited to
see Claudia again,” he told his wife. “She’s also thrilled about making friends
in Italy.”

Dylan
nodded as she folded her arms over her stomach. “We’re going to have to get her
more fabrics. Just imagine all of the fashion tips she’ll have now,” she said
lowly. When he nodded, she inhaled. “I just want all of this to be over.”

Crispin
moved from the bed and went to embrace her. “I know. But if we aren’t here to
stop this madness, who will be?”

Dylan
closed her eyes as she buried her face against his neck. “I don’t want you with
me tomorrow,” she said softly. She felt his body tighten and wrapped her arms
around his waist. “This is Madison we’re talking about. You know that when she
fights, she goes for weak spots. You’re my weak spot. You’re my weakest spot. I
know she’s going to go after you first.”

Crispin
tightened his arms around her. “I love you,” he said into her hair. As she
slowly relaxed in his arms, he pressed his lips into her hair again. “But think
about something,” he whispered. “You’re my weakest spot too. Do you honestly
think I could let you go into a situation this dangerous without being near?”
He smiled sadly when she raised her head and looked into his eyes. “If the
situation was reversed, could you stay behind? Or run away with Lacey?”

Another
sigh escaped Dylan as she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. “I
love you too,” she grumbled. When he started to laugh, she pressed a kiss to
his lips. “But if you get hurt, I’ll never forgive you.”

Crispin
lifted her up as he kissed her again. “Same goes for you,” he breathed against
her lips. He carried her to the bed, simply enjoying the feeling of Dylan in
his arms. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes as he laid her back. “I need for you
to be safe tomorrow, Sweetheart,” he said softly.

Dylan
caressed his face and frowned as she tried to scan his thoughts. In a moment,
she knew who his thoughts were focused on. “I’ll be fine,” she said as she
slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “I won’t let history repeat itself.”

He
instantly knew what she was talking about. “Her death destroyed us all,”
Crispin said quietly. “Father was a shell of himself for decades. If something
happened to you, I would be worse. I know I would.”

Dylan
tangled her hands in his hair again and looked into his eyes. “Let’s not worry
about that,” she suggested as she kissed his neck. When he gave in to her
charms, she shifted their positions so that she was on top of him. “Let’s just
have tonight,” she whispered against his skin.

Crispin
lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. “I think I can let
you have your way with me,” he sighed.

* *
* * *

Lily
entered the room she and Barry shared and inhaled when she saw him sitting on
the bed. “I thought you’d be asleep.” She walked over to the opposite side of it
and sat with her back to him.

Barry
couldn’t help but smile humorlessly. “You’re going to keep avoiding me?” he
asked lowly. When she turned to look at him, he reached over and brushed her
hair away from her face. “You thought of something earlier, and it scared you.
My guess would be that you don’t know if we would be able to get past your
potential immortality. Am I right?” He laughed as her eyes widened. “I’m a cop,
remember. If I couldn’t put that much together, I wouldn’t deserve my badge.”

Lily
lowered her eyes as she turned to face him. “It’s true,” she said softly. “Even
if we survive this, I’ll stop aging soon. You’ll be able to hold out for a few
years because of your magic, hopefully.” She ignored the way he frowned at the
word hopefully and pushed on. “As selfish as it sounds, I don’t want a few
decades with you, only to turn around and have to live another few centuries
without you.” Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at him. “This
connection between us should end now.”

He
stood and walked around the bed to where she sat. Without a word he took her
face in his hands and kissed her passionately. When the tears from her eyes
started to run down her face, he gently brushed them away. After a moment, Lily
started to return his kiss. He lifted her against his body, relishing the way
she fit perfectly against him. Barry moved away from her lips and looked into
her eyes. “Do you really think that this is something that we can simply stop?”
he asked before kissing her again.

Lily
gave in to his demanding kiss. She felt the way his body hardened next to hers
and moaned softly. The soft sheets met her back when Barry laid her down on the
bed. They pulled away from each other long enough to make short work of their
clothes. When they were both completely naked, Lily opened her arms to him.
“Promise me you’ll be safe tomorrow,” she breathed as he climbed over her.

Barry
tangled his hand in her hair as he kissed her passionately. He smiled at the
feeling of her legs wrapping around his body. “Only if you do the same,” he
said playfully. Before he could react, Barry found himself under Lily. He took
a shaky breath as she trailed teasing kisses down his body.