ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (203 page)

“Where’s the goon?”

Gayle leaned against the hood and lit a cigarette.  He jerked a thumb backwards.  “Sleeping.”

“I need your help.”

“Bored with her already?”

Mark’s gaze became icy.  “No.  Her sister is missing.  That’s why I stayed with her.” 

“Right, and those long legs and big eyes had nothing to do with it.” 

“Shut your face, and listen to me!”  Mark hissed.  “Her sister has some problems.  You know the drill...a human with problems becomes vulnerable for worse problems.  She may have been involved with someone that goes to Crimson.” 

Gayle whistled quietly through his teeth.  “Wow.  Do you know what the largest group is that haunts Crimson?” 

Mark shook his head. 

Gayle flicked his cigarette butt into the street.  “Well, I’m going to tell you.  Vampires.  Crimson is owned by vampires.  We get along with drainers worse than we get along with tricksters!” 

Realization dawned for Mark.  “These places…clubs…whatever, the names are a clue for what owns them and for the biggest portion of the patrons.” 

Gayle grinned, but it was mirthless.  “You catch on fast.  Crimson is Vampire, Tricky’s is Fey, and Carnival, well no one knows about that one for sure.  It’s a mixed bag I guess.  There’s many places like this, but none as well known among our kind as these three.”

Mark sucked in breath and let it out slowly.  “You know I’d rather gnaw off my foot than ask you for help, but I’m asking anyway.” 

Gayle regarded him with amusement.  “I’ll help you, but you have to return home with us as soon as this is over.” 

Mark threw his arms up in frustration.  “Why is it so damn important that I come home?” 

“You’re just bent out of shape that Donovan is picking your mate.” 

“We live for two hundred years or more, Gayle.  That’s a long time to live with someone you don’t even like!”  He jabbed his own chest with a pointed finger.  “I should be able to pick my own mate!”

Gayle’s amusement faded into a sour twist of mouth.  “Donovan is our Alpha, and according to him, your gifts are strong enough to indicate you too will be an Alpha.” 

Mark knew Gayle’s jealousy ran deep.  “Will you help me or not?”

“This sister…does she look anything like your little friend?” 

“They’re twins.”

Gayle straightened from where he was leaning.  “Whoa ho!  All that dark hair, pale skin, blue eyed?  I guarantee she was targeted by a drainer.  Good luck with that!”

“I don’t know that they are identical, but I’m guessing they are.” 

Gayle nodded once.  “Yeah, sounds like fun.  Work out a plan to tell your girlfriend.  She saw us at Denny’s, and might find it odd that we are just showing up here unannounced.”  He swung the car door open and got in just as Richie’s bald head popped up in the back.  “See you tomorrow night, Mark.”

“Why tomorrow night?” 

Gayle gave him a patient look.  “Vampire’s don’t run around during the day if they can help it.” 

Mark moved to the side walk as Gayle roared the car to life and pulled away from the curb.  Richie scowled at Mark as the car drove away.

Mark walked slowly back to Estelle’s house.  His head ached. 

I just made a deal with the devil and his little minion too.

Cara woke Mark just after nine.  Estelle had fixed a nice breakfast of muffins and eggs with bacon.

“Really, Gram, it’s your birthday!  I should be cooking.” 

Estelle shook her head and placed a bowl of fruit on the table before seating herself.  “Nonsense!  You and Mark being here is the best birthday gift I could ask for!”  She spooned scrambled eggs onto her plate and winked at Cara.  “What do your parents think of him?” 

Mark and Cara looked at each other quickly. 

“They haven’t met him yet.” 

“Oh?” 

“In truth, we’ve only known each other a few days.” 

Estelle’s fork stopped just short of her lips.  Scrambled egg fell from her fork as she set it back down.  “Please explain that to me.” 

Cara told her about the diner and the greasy men at the gas station.  She explained their agreement, and how Mark had offered to help her.” 

The pinched look of worry left Estelle’s face, and she smiled at Mark.  “You are like a knight in shining armor!” 

Mark smiled shyly and lowered his eyes, playing with the food on his plate.  “No, Mam.  I just wanted to help.”

Estelle winked at Cara again, leaning towards her as if to whisper a secret.  “And he’s modest too?  Definitely a knight!”

Cara laughed.  “Please excuse Gram.  She’s had a lifelong love of all things medieval and fantasy oriented.” 

“So, you settled in Arizona?  Why not somewhere like England or Scotland?”  Mark teased. 

Estelle waved him off.  “Too far, and too damp!  Oh I love looking at photos and dreaming, but I need to be closer to my family…just not too close.” 

Cara and Estelle exchanged a knowing look, that didn’t escape Mark.  He guessed the “just not too close” was more of a reference to Cara’s parents than she and Tara. 

Breakfast didn’t last long and Cara had to practically beat her grandmother off of the dirty dishes.  Once the kitchen was clean, Cara announced that she and Mark were going to run errands. 

Cara seemed far more at ease now that she was with her Gram, and Mark told her so as they meandered their way to the nearest shopping strip. 

“Gram has always been good for me.  She taught me more about real life than my mother ever did.  She even taught Tara and me how to sew and crochet.” 

“Really?  That’s awesome.  Most women your age don’t have a clue about old customs and practices.” 

“She took us to church a few times too before she moved away.” 

“Your parents aren’t religious?”

Cara tilted her head slightly.  “No, not really.  They’ve been to church, but they both claim to be Agnostics now.  They say it’s too hard to pick just one god since there are so many.  They feel more comfortable claiming allegiance to some vague higher power.” 

“And what do you believe?”

Cara hesitated.  “I’m a Christian.  I believe in that God.”

Mark nodded slightly and looked out of the window.

Cara chewed on her bottom lip uncertainly.  “Do you have a belief system?” 

Mark didn’t turn his head.  “I did once.”  

Cara let the subject drop.  She liked the talkative Mark far better than the quiet one.  She pulled into a small strip mall and parked in front of a little bakery. 

“My Gram bought Tara and I a cake from here for our birthday a few years ago and it was fantastic!  I just hope we can get something ready made since it’s the weekend.” 

Mark and Cara looked at an astounding amount of cakes, pies, and various pastries and donuts before settling on a single layer red velvet cake with cream cheese icing made to look like lace. 

“That’s pretty nice.” 

Cara smiled.  “It is.  Gram likes cake of any kind, so we were safe with whatever choice.” 

Once they were back in the car, Mark knew he was going to have to tell Cara about Gayle and Richie.  Once evening was upon them it would be too late.

He touched her hand as she tried to start the car.  “I need to tell you something.” 

The soft cadence of his voice gave Cara pause.  Oh gosh, this is where he tells me that he’s married.  Or better yet, a fugitive on the run!

Cara swallowed.  “Ok.”

“Do you remember in Denny’s how two men came in, and then we left?”

Cara nodded.  “Yeah.”

“They weren’t strangers to me.”

Cara forced her eyes to stay steady, but the clenching of her stomach told her she didn’t want to hear anymore.  “Who are they?”

Mark sighed, opened his mouth, and then shut it again.  “In Virginia I live with a group of people….we’re sort of like a family…but there are rules, and when I left they were sent to bring me home.”

Cara stared out of the windshield.  “Like a cult?”  She whispered.

“No, not a cult.”  Mark blew air out of his mouth in frustration.  “I can’t explain anymore right now, but I had to tell you this because I contacted them after you and Estelle went to bed last night.  They’re going to help us find Tara.” 

The need to find her sister was overpowering but she knew what that bargain cost Mark.  She turned her face back to him.  “They help if you go home after, right?” 

Mark nodded.  He hated the confusion and sadness in her eyes now, but this was the quickest and safest way to find Tara.  He watched her nod her head slightly and start the car.  Mark could sense that none of this made any sense to her, yet she trusted him completely.  No one had ever trusted him completely before. 

The day was spent with Estelle, eating her cake and discussing what would happen once they found Tara.  She was amiable about two more strangers coming to visit, and when the doorbell rang, she welcomed Gayle and Richie into her home as if they were long lost relatives.  Mark could tell the two of them had planned to walk in with their usual arrogance and sarcasm, but that’s hard to do when someone’s grandmother is offering you cake and snacks. 

Estelle wanted to pray before they left.  Mark wondered what God thought about the request for protection over three of his damned. 

Night was creeping steadily across the city as they stood beside Gayle’s car. 

“How did you get the invite to Crimson?” 

Gayle flashed a smile.  “I used my charm and good looks.”

Mark and Cara weren’t amused.  “So the four of us are going to just walk in there?  No problem?”

Gayle pulled four business cards from the back pocket of his black jeans.  He handed one to each of them.  It was a simple laminated card of pearl gray with the word Crimson printed on the front in dark red.  “If you have one of these it means you were invited in.  I have an old acquaintance that hooked us up.”

Richie snorted a laugh and gave Gayle a knowing look. 

Mark frowned.  “Of the female persuasion I assume.”  Gayle was a philanderer in large form and he didn’t discriminate race or even paranormal persuasion.  If Donovan knew, he didn’t let on, but Mark was positive he didn’t know.  The biggest rule Donovan had for the pack concerned that kind of behavior.

Cara was scared out if her mind, but her irritation with this Gayle person was currently overriding the fear.  “We need to get going!”  She snapped.

Gayle raised his eyebrows at Mark, and mouthed; “Feisty!” 

As they drove, Mark tried to explain to Cara what Crimson would be like.  It was a hard job, especially since he had never been there, but the hardest part was a quick explanation of the kinds of people that would be there. 

“I don’t understand.”  She said flatly. 

“I know it’s difficult, but…”

“No!  I have no problem imagining vampires, and werewolves, and whatever else.  As kids Tara and I would dream such things were real, and we planned to grow up and find them.  My problem is how do you know about these things?  How is it that?”

Mark flinched at the anger in her voice.  “Because I am one.”  He whispered. 

Cara’s eyes bulged and her hands shook as she tried to keep the car under control.  They were driving into a warehouse district just outside of the city.  Street lights were few and far between here.  She took a deep breath.  He really is shaping up to be the man of my dreams.  A very dangerous man of my dreams. 

“Which one are you?” 

“Which one?” 

She flashed him a hard look.  “Yes!  What kind?” 

“I’m a shifter.  A werewolf.” 

Cara began laughing.  When her pitch came near to hysteria, Mark shook her shoulder. 

“What the hell’s wrong with you?  This isn’t funny!” 

“Oh but it is!”  She laughed, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.  “You see, Tara and I fantasized about this whole world you live in.  Her dream was to marry a Vampire, and mine was to marry a…well…a werewolf!”  Her shoulders began to shake and soon she was laughing again. 

Mark watched her and a slow smile spread across his face.  What little girl dreams of marrying a Werewolf?  The kind that grows up to be perfect for me, that’s who. 

Gayle turned into what looked like the parking lot of an abandoned warehouse.  Windows were broken and everything was dark. 

“This has to be a mistake.” 

“No mistake.”  Mark said. 

They followed Gayle’s car to the back of the property where a few other vehicles were parked.  Cara only counted a dozen.  She was still convinced they were at the wrong place, until she stepped out of the car and felt the hum of music.  The sound was faint, but she could feel the vibrations coming from the ground. 

Gayle motioned for them to follow and they walked towards the back of the building.  Three loading docks stood empty.  A dark skinned man stood beside the center one.  He looked like a secret service agent.  He wore a black suit jacket over a white turtle neck, his black slacks looked expensive.  The Arizona heat can be stifling, but Cara doubted neither heat nor cold bothered this man.