Infinity (22 page)

I was livid. For the first time in my life, I wanted to inflict bodily harm on someone. Him. I pushed the hair that had escaped out of my ponytail impatiently then leveled a cold stare at him before whirling around with a roundhouse kick to chest.

He barely flinched as he looked at me coldly with hands clenching and unclenching angrily at his side. The thick vein in his neck pulsed in an angry rhythm.

“You bastard. How dare you manhandle me? I demand respect.” I gazed up at him, trying to keep my breathing smooth and even.

He stated through clenched teeth. “Let’s get a couple things straight. Don’t ever talk to me like that, especially in front of my men. Second, you don’t pay my salary. And last but definitely not least, respect is earned.” He looked at me with distaste. “And believe me, you’re nowhere near earning mine.”

What. The. Fuck!

The air whooshed out of my chest like I was physically kicked. I was so angry I was seeing red. I hated him and he obviously hated me. “Since after tonight I won’t ever see you again. I don’t give a shit about your opinions. Now get the hell out.” I pursed my lips and gestured towards the door.

“Get changed. Get your stuff and knock on the door when you’re ready.”

I was trembling with anger when I picked up a glass and threw it at his head which he smoothly dodged. “Get out!”

He stepped in my face. “Don’t test me. You won’t like the results. I promise you.” He strode out the dressing room without pause.

Infinity

The Unraveling

I was seething by the time I showered and dressed, pissed by the fact that the big bad wolf, known as Torch wanted to make an example out of me by bullying me around like this was some prison yard.

I was brushing my hair with long angry strokes, practically foaming at the mouth, when the door knocked and Zoe peeked in giving me an impish grin as she strolled past me, plopping down on the sofa.

“Oh. My. Goodness. What was all that?”

I dropped the brush with a loud bang on the dressing table. “Well let’s start with the fact that Mason is so fired for hiring that asshole.”

“Uh, sugar. I don’t think Mason hired him. That dude is definitely in charge.” She fanned herself. “You should see him out there ordering his minions around, and every one of them falling in line, even the mighty Mason.” She cast a side look at the door. “And what the hell was all that noise between Kir and Boulder?”

I was one step away from screaming that I was pretty sure that it was a gang fight between vampires and wolves. But I went with, “Does it look like I know? Let’s get back to the fact that I was tossed over ass wipe’s shoulder, caveman style, and then relegated to my dressing room like a child on time-out.”

“Torch,” she responded with a sing-song voice.

Giving her the have you lost your ever loving mind stare, I said, “What?”

She grinned at me, “His name is Torch. Boulder’s business partner.”

“I know what his name is. And I know who he is.”

“Oh. My. Gawd. Torch. How cool is that name? And did you notice how hot he is? Dude is built like a freaking warrior. On steroids. And that dark hair and those soulless ‘I will kill you where you stand’ eyes? Oh baby, and that chemistry popping off between you? Gawd, I was hoping that he plundered you right there in the hallway.” Her eyes were glowing like she really was enjoying herself.

“Zoe? Seriously? Did you just pop a shit load of Rejuvenators, because you’re sounding like a lunatic!” I jabbed my finger towards the door, “He’s an ass. A barbaric ass.”

She scooted down the sofa, squirming with excitement. “I don’t know about all that. When he flung you over his shoulders, it was kind of hot. The dancers were fanning themselves just imagining the fire that is Torch.” She leaned over, grabbing a bottle of water. “Including me.” She winked saucily.

I scoffed, pulling my thigh-high black leather boots over my charcoal skinnies. “Okay well have at the” I did air quotes, “fire that is Torch. Distract him from his sordid fixation with the singer that is Infinity.”

“Oh hell to the no!” Zoe eyes widened, “Did you see the focus on that guy? There’s no distracting him. None what so ever. By the way, I mentioned our party plans to Boulder. ”

I slapped her on the arm. “What?”

“Ouch!” She rubbed her arm. “I wanted to see if he wanted party with me.”

I slapped her arm again.

She grinned, “I mean you.”

I held my breath waiting for her to finish.

“He said no.”

“No?” My mouth tightened.

“No. Because, wait for it....you and him would be busy. And then he smiled in that sexy, I will lick you from head-to-toe way.” She fanned dramatically, “And then he snarled that Diego and I could go where ever we wanted as long as it didn’t involve you.” She took a gulp of water. “And just so you know, all Vikings have been alerted to stop any get Infinity to the after party maneuvers. These are the orders handed down by Boulder and Torch to his minions.”

Ugh
, Boulder and I were so going to talk. I would not be controlled by anyone and he needed to understand that ASAP. My eyes narrowed, “Oh, I’m so going to my after party. You best believe that.”

“And how are you going to do that when two bigger than life Vikings are standing outside your door? I swear they’re practically foaming at the mouth waiting for you to step out that door.”

I smiled deviously, “Because the Vikings didn’t do such a great job with securing all the exits, the bathroom suite has a door that I’m assuming leads to another dressing room. So you and I are going to use it.”

Zoe sat up quickly, “Look, you know I’m good for thumbing my nose at authority. But Torch? I don’t want to cross him. He’s way too rugged and raw and one step away from fucking crazy. Let’s forget about the party and hang at your place. It’s no biggie, Infinity.”

I snarled, “Call Diego and tell him to meet us in the parking garage.”

“Infinity?”

“Do it. Or I’m marching out there and telling Cruz that you sent a message to all of your fans that his penis is this big,” I wiggled my pinky.

She arched a brow, “Are you trying to motivate me not to call? Because he’s the kind of guy that’s not afraid to storm in here show me what he’s working with.” Her eyes lit up as she stared into space. “Oh fuck him. He’s a cock tease. Next.”

I groaned, because I knew that the only reason she was interested in Cruz was because he wasn’t interested in her. For shit’s sake, she was worse at relationships than I was. The string of broken hearted men was a testament to that.

“Just a thought, but has it crossed your mind that he might not be into women?”

She slapped her knee, “Uh, yes! But I just happened to be stretching in front of him and caught him checking out my ass. So I know that he likes what he sees.”

I arched a brow, “Just happened to be stretching?”

She pointed at me with a smirk, “Don’t you dare judge me miss making out with Boulder mere hours after meeting him.”

Okay, she had me there. “I have no shame in my game. Big Red is all mine, but he must be taught an important lesson—I will not be told what to do,” I stood up, grabbing my bag. “You can stay here if you want, but I’m out.”

I stepped into the bathroom and Zoe scrambled to follow as she slid her finger across her phone and whispered. “Diego, meet us in the garage. I know. I can’t talk. Yup, she’s pissed. Yes, this only means trouble.” She slipped her phone into her back pocket. “I don’t have a good feeling about this. Torch and Boulder are going to be pissed.”

I could feel me working myself into a frenzy. I knew it was irrational, but it just stuck in my craw that they were bossing me around like their minion.

I whispered, “Who cares? You don’t come at me all guns blazing and expect me to stand down.” We stepped through the door and into a dark room that wasn’t a dressing room, but a storage room.

Zoe whispered back, “Okay I get your issue with authority, but this sneaking around crap just doesn’t feel right.”

Whatever.
Right now, Zoe’s paranoia was not my issue. I looked at the dusty boxes stacked up and the old costumes on racks pushed against the walls. I pointed over to the door, strolling over to it, “There, it’s an exit.” Peeking out, spotting a side exit. “Let’s go.”

Zoe mumbled under her breathe as we creped down the hallway, and into the stairwell that led down to the door marked ‘garage exit’. The second we stepped into the garage, I knew something was wrong. Hundreds of big, sooty birds, ravens, with shaggy throat feathers, and slender pointed wings flicking upward quickly, were perched on the roofs of parked cars staring at us. Their harsh, guttural ‘kar-kar-kar-kar’ croaks mixed with the sound of a frog call.

Zoe looked around nervously, “Oh my gawd. How did they get in here?”

They were warning me, warning me of impending danger and I didn’t need my queasy stomach or trembling fingers to confirm it. Something was coming and it sure as hell wasn’t the Vikings.

One swooped through the air, its pointy wing clipping my ear as the stale air suddenly stirred, whirling hotly around my face.
Oh gawd,
it was coming, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Abruptly, all of the ravens took to the air with flowing wing beats, filling the empty space with echoing shrill calls.

The air chilled so abruptly that I shivered, my breathe making white clouds. This felt so wrong. Like a well laid trap that I fell for foolishly. I felt a wave of nausea and clutched my stomach. The lights in the garage flickered. A dark shadowy haze surrounded us, then I felt the heavy weight of an evil crackle that ratcheted around us.

“Infinity?” A dark creepy man’s voice taunted from the shadows. A handsome blond man with a haunted gaze and commanding presence stepped from the darkness with Diego clutched against his chest like a broken rag doll. He smiled, showing freakishly long incisors covered with blood. Diego’s blood. “Diego and I waited and waited. Then I decided to have a snack.” Diego’s head flopped sideways revealing his torn out throat.

“No! Diego, no!” Zoe screamed running towards him before I grabbed her. She struggled against me, “This is all your fault.”

I sobbed, my heart fluttering, “I...Jesus..”

“Jesus? He’s not coming,” he snarled.

She pounded against my chest, “Everything always has to be your way. If we had just stayed with them, he would be still be alive.” She slid to the ground sobbing, broken.

My body shook with tears. She was right; Diego was dead because of me. The dream predicted their death, a death caused by me. My vision went blurry; my knees buckled sending me crashing to the ground. Images faded in and out as I scrambled around on the ground trying to get my bearings. I sobbed as my head pounded with excruciating pain, fighting whatever it was that was fighting to make its way to the surface.

I could hear Zoe begging me to get up as she struggled to pull me to my feet. The image of her terrified eyes zoomed in and out.

My voice sounded lethargic even to my ears. “Alik,” What the hell is Alik? My head swam as the fog slowly lifted. I doubled over and vomited. And then just like that, it all came back. Not what, who. Alik. The Vampire S.O.B who erased my memory.

“My son has been very naughty I see.” The man cackled, “And you are stronger than I thought. To break his memory trance requires much strength. And to think they wanted to kill you.” He snapped his fingers, “You, I can use.”

My breath caught when ominous looking men stepped out of the shadows surrounding us menacingly. Zoe clawed my arm frantically as I stood frozen, not with fear, but by the mental hold he locked on me, keeping my feet glued the ground.

He looked at Zoe with cold eyes, “You, I have no use for.” He disappeared into thin air then reappeared, swooping down abnormally fast grabbing Zoe from behind. “You smell absolutely delicious,” He growled as she whimpered when his yellowed claws tore into her flesh brutally.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as Zoe clasped against him in pain. “Please let her go,” I screamed. “Take me.”

He sneered, “Walk over to me. Now!”

Sweat trickled down my spine when he dug his claws into Zoe’s shoulder causing her eyes to roll back.

He screamed, “I said move!” Spit dripped from his incisors as he garbled out the command. He sneered at me, licking his cracked lips like I was a steak ready to eat. His sharp incisors lengthened, “You’re not moving, Valkyrie.”

He twisted Zoe’s neck in a painful angle with a blood thirsty gleam in his eyes. “I don’t think she’s eager to put her life on the line for you, love.”

Zoe whimpered, “Please, Infinity. I don’t want to die.”

Tears streamed down my face. My lips trembled as I racked my brain for a way out of this mess, because I knew that no matter what I did, he would kill her, then me. “You let her go first and come to me.”

“That’s not going to happen, Valkyrie. You must freely give yourself to me to render your powers useless, a little preventive measure that the Immortals put in place to prevent their daughters from falling prey to us.”

I looked at him with wide eyes, “What the hell are talking about? I don’t have any powers. And why do you insist on calling me Valkyrie?”

“You really don’t know what you are?” He clucked his tongue, “Kara, Kara, Kara. Such a conniving one.” He stared into space, “They’re coming for you. And I’m wasting time.” He swooped down, tearing into Zoe’s neck drinking deeply as she screamed bloody murder. Her body slumped in his arms. He looked over at me licking his blood drenched lips, tossing Zoe’s body away like trash.

“You fucking monster.” I clenched and unclenched my hands. “I will never come to you freely. You want me.” My eyes narrowed, “Then you come and get me.”

“Kill her and be done with this.” He snarled.

Vampires circled me. I knew there was no way that I could win. I would die. But I would die fighting. A simmering heat engulfed me as a snarl erupted from my throat, wolfish and foreign to my ears.

A claw swiped my back. I convulsed with pain. Another vampire swiped towards my head. I twisted out of the way with smooth, freakish speed that stunned it, before reversing into roundhouse kick, knocking him away.