Scarlet Assassin (25 page)

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” Francesca said, her head still swimming.

A strong hand grabbed her elbow before she fainted. “My fault completely, my dear. You look distressed, perhaps a glass of water?”

Looking up she faded into deep dark eyes.

“Oh not again.” she said, recognizing the signs of what she suspected was a vampire.

Chapter Thirty-six

Selene felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach. Her feelings raced for Francesca. Grabbing her jacket, she ran after her. Knocking on the next door as she passed it, she yelled, “I’ll be back. Keep an eye on Clarissa.”

Clarissa opened the door. “Wait, Selene.”

She didn’t stop. She didn’t look back. Instead she was focused on the man with his hand on Francesca, escorting her out the door of the club. Her senses spiked off the Richter scale. Whoever it was, he was a vampire and he had his hands on her girl.
Her girl? Oh great!
She didn’t have time to flesh out her feelings right now. She needed to catch Francesca before something happened. In her condition, she was susceptible to a mere suggestion and that was Selene’s fault. 

“Francesca. Wait. Francesca!” Selene screamed at the pair walking toward the parking lot.

“Selene, wait. I don’t think you should be out there alone,” Clarissa yelled as she and Jax followed behind.

“Francesca, stop now,” Selene commanded.

Selene could see Francesca trying to stop, yet the man kept pulling her along quickly behind him. Running, she yelled again at Francesca. She was gaining on the duo, reaching them just as the man dropped his grip on Francesca and bolted for the alley.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so. I don’t know what happened. One minute I’m knocking into this guy and then next thing I’m being dragged behind him and unable to stop.”

She wrapped Francesca in a quick hug she kissed her cheek. She let her go just as Jax and Clarissa reached them. “Jax, grab Francesca and get the ladies inside.” She yelled and took off after the man.

“Wait, Selene…”

She heard Francesca yell after her. She wasn’t about to let some low level bloodsucker get away with taking advantage of Francesca. She already felt awful, but she would have been devastated if something happened because of the way she treated Francesca. Clearly she was transferring her feelings onto this creep, but it would feel good to kick his ass for a reason and ease her own guilt. Maybe when she got back she and Francesca could talk. First things first, find the jerk and kick his ass. That would send a powerful message to anyone else who thought they could walk into her club and swoop in on unsuspecting women.

His scent was easy to follow. Down the alley, it dumped her into an open doorway. Without thought, she barreled ahead only to come face-to-face with the very man she was chasing.

De Marcus.

****

“Ms. Lockwood.” A whisper somewhere far off called to AJ “Ms. Lockwood.”

There it was again. A soft voice, a nudge–someone calling her name, only it wasn’t Clarissa.

“I don’t think she’s going to wake-up.”

“I’ll call her office and see if someone can meet us at the airport. Maybe I should call the police, she’s beat-up pretty bad.”

“I don’t know but hand me those wipes, she smells awful.”

AJ cracked her eyes barely enough to see the flight crew of her jet standing over her. Wetness wiped across her face and down her neck. Another swipe of wetness startled her.

“Stop, please,” she barely eeked out.

“Oh, Ms. Lockwood, you’re awake.”

“Have we taken off yet?”

“Yes, just minutes ago.”

She felt her world spin as she tried to sit-up. Her head throbbed with each beat of her heart. Touching her side she had some satisfaction that the wound had stopped bleeding and was slowly starting to heal.

“I need a phone.”

“Of course.” The attendant went to the front of the plane and came back with a cell phone. “Who would you like me to dial? Oh, wait…I’m sorry we don’t have a signal.”

“Why am I not surprised? Shit.”

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and tried to swallow. “Water please.”

“Oh, of course.”

Her world just couldn’t right itself could it? It would take at least an hour to get to the city, a half an hour to land and in the mean time she hoped she could get a signal so she might possibly be able to check on Clarissa. She examined her hands. The caked on dirt and blood needed to come off. Finishing the bottle of water, she tried to get up.

“Can you give me a hand, Tonya?” she requested.

“Are you sure you want to get up, Ms. Lockwood? I mean you look like you’ve been in a bad accident. Why don’t we wait until we land? I’ll call for an ambulance and we can get you checked out.”

“I’m fine, really. I just need to wash this gunk off of me. I can’t stand to smell myself for one more minute and I’m sure you’re thinking the same thing.”

“Oh no Ms.—”

AJ raised her hand, stopping Tonya. “I pay you well, but I don’t pay you to lie, so if you’ll just help stand. I want to wash-up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“There should be a few travel kits in the back. Can you see if you can scrounge me up something to change into?” AJ swayed a bit as she slowly made her way to the compact bathroom.

“All I could find were some sweats. Actually they’re mine, but I’m happy to help out. I just don’t think we wear the same size shoe.” Tonya handed the clothing to AJ.

At least they weren’t pink with sparkles
. AJ shook her head.

“Thanks. I appreciate the clothes. Can you keep an eye on the phone and let me know when we have a signal. I need to make an important phone call.”

“Of course. The pilot says we’ll be landing in about twenty minutes. I’m sure we’ll have a signal when we land.”

“It might be too late by that time.” AJ hated admitting it, but De Marcus had the jump on her. She would just have to hope that Selene was doing her part and keeping Clarissa safe. Looking down at the cell phone still nestled in her hand she noticed two small bars of availability.

Success!

She could finally call Clarissa.

Chapter Thirty-seven

Selene stopped just inside the door of the small room. It was empty except for De Marcus sitting in a chair staring at her and the man she was chasing standing next to him.

Fucking, De Marcus.

“Well, isn’t this an interesting situation,” he said, leering at her.

“A trap, how clever of you, De Marcus.”

“Yes, well you fell for it didn’t you?”

Selene could kick herself for being so possessive. The man she was after had put his hands on Francesca and all she could think was to kick his ass and save the girl. Oh, how chivalrous. Shit! Selene slipped her hands in her jacket trying to control her rage. She would kill De Marcus tonight, period. Evil like his deserved a brutal death and she was just the one to provide it.

“Now why would you want me?”

“Seriously? Selene, you’re smarter than that, with you out of the way and AJ dead, I have Clarissa all to myself.”

Selene gave De Marcus the best shocked expression she could muster. He had no clue AJ was still alive on her way to protect Clarissa. It wasn’t her job to pop his little bubble, only to protect Clarissa. If she forfeited her life in that job, then so be it.

“Surprised? I thought you knew.”

“How would I know?”

“Well, I thought Butch would call and gloat, but obviously I misjudged him. He has a modicum of class after all.”

“So, where is Clarissa? Back at the club?”

“You don’t think I’m going to let you near her, do you?”

“I don’t think you’re going to have a choice,” he said. The door behind her closed and she heard the dead bolt slide. She was locked inside and the odds weren’t in her favor at two against one.

Just as De Marcus pulled his hand from inside of his jacket, Selene pulled her stiletto from hers.

He gripped a grenade. That was original. If the grenade hit her, there was no way she could survive. It would blow her to pieces. Even a spoon wouldn’t be able to scoop her up. He had thought of everything.

He nodded his head towards his company, who exited out of the only other door. Now this was interesting, he was going to do his own dirty work. Well, maybe she did have a chance. She looked around the room. Two windows, the back door and the front door, no furniture except the chair De Marcus sat on.

Selene flicked her stiletto open and smiled back at De Marcus. She wasn’t going down without a fight and she hoped he knew that.

“You’ve got to be kidding me? You think you’re going to kill me with that little pig sticker?”

“You think you’re going to kill me with that?” Selene said, head nodding at the grenade.

The door behind De Marcus opened, causing Selene to shift her focus momentarily. In the next second, she heard the ping as the pin dropped to the floor and the click as the spoon of the grenade was released. De Marcus flung it towards Selene. She instinctively hurled herself at De Marcus. He flashed a wicked smile then launching himself across the room, his body aiming for the window. Selene grabbed De Marcus as he hit the pane and the grenade exploded behind them. A blast of splintering glass, broken wood and a flash propelled them across the lawn until they finally skidded to a stop. Selene straddled a cursing De Marcus, remembering a not too distant time when she was in this exact position.

An explosion of movement brought the two together. There was a swishing of the rapier as it cut the air, then flesh drifted through the breeze. A solid thud of a punch landing and an audible expulsion of breath echoed. Another thud, the blade cutting through cloth and the quick movements ended just as fast as they had begun. Selene found herself thrust upward at the end of De Marcus’ arm. Her breathing was quickly being cut off, but her sword was buried to the hilt in De Marcus’ chest. His grasp on Selene’s neck gave way as he reached for her hand on the rapier. 

Selene tumbled forward sending De Marcus onto his back, cushioning her fall. Landing on top of De Marcus, she felt a shooting pain in her arm. He had sunk his fangs into her forearm and held her against him.

“Release me, you son of a bitch,” Selene shouted, pulling her arm from his clenched teeth. 

Selene could see the blade of her rapier had bent and stuck out behind De Marcus’s shoulder. Grabbing the handle she began to wiggle it back and forth opening the wound wider. While the blade was close to his heart, it wasn’t a fatal wound. Nonetheless, it would keep him down for a few days. She continued to yank on the blade, blood soaking his white shirt. The action finally caused De Marcus to release his grip on her arm and he began to scream. 

“I’ll kill you, you bitch.”

“Stop screaming or I’ll continue to open you like a Christmas pig.” Selene jerked the handle again to emphasize her point. 

She felt De Marcus try to toss her off, so she reached down and pulled the dagger she had hidden in her boot and pushed it into his throat. The tip instantly drew blood and she licked his throat. A tingle rushed through her when his blood hit her system. She felt her body tighten and surge again. Setting her fangs to his jugular….

“Wow, I think we’ve been here before, De Marcus.” Blood streamed down the side of her face, her words dripping with irony. Her head spun from the concussion of the blast. She was damn lucky to be alive and she would make him pay for trying to kill her. Her knuckles contacted with De Marcus’ chin, forcing him sideways under her. He bucked, trying to dislodge her. Wrapping her legs around his hips she forced him down with her forearm pressing across his windpipe.

“Get the fuck off me, or you’ll regret it.” De Marcus spat out.

“Oh that’s original. I think you said that, too.” Selene choked on the smoke and dirt that filled the air, trying to take a deep breath. Her lungs hurt, her eyes burned, but she was alive.

“You’re going to regret meeting up with me tonight, you bitch.”

“Unless you’ve got a little friend in your pocket, I don’t think I have anything to worry about.” Selene wiped her face on the back of her sleeve, dangerously close to De Marcus’ mouth. She needed to get the hell out of there, the blast would bring the police, and all the lookie-loo’s.

“Never under estimate me you bitch.” He practically choked on his words as Selene slid the stiletto across his face. Blood spurted from the wound, speckling her own face. She raised the tip aiming for his throat. As she thrust downward, he bucked his hips, sending the tip into his own eye. Selene jerked up, the tip dislodging his eyeball but not completely severing it from the orbital socket.

“My eye, you fucking bitch,” he screamed.

Selene finished the procedure, flicking her wrist and tossing the eyeball on the other side of his head. His screams of pain pierced the cold air, echoing off the surrounding buildings. She would need to get the hell out of there before people came running to see the explosion. Sitting up on De Marcus’s body, she drove the stiletto through his chest. She could felt his heart beating through the blade and into her palm. His energy pushed through her. She’d dreamed of this day for over a year and couldn’t believe she was finally able to give Clarissa the peace that she needed. She would finally have her life start anew with AJ. Blood seeped up the hole in his chest and around her hand as she pushed the blade deeper.

He reached up grabbing a fist full of hair and tried to pull her off, but she didn’t budge. He didn’t have the strength to dislodge her and so she kept pushing all of her weight behind the thin slice of death.

“Die you bastard.”

“Fuck you.”

“Not today, De Marcus.” Leaning on the knife harder she said, “This is for all those women you destroyed, and all those innocent lives that you took. You’re a sick bastard and now you get to meet the same fate they did, at the hands of another vampire.”

“I won’t die Selene. I’ll be alive in all of those I turned. They’ll hunt you down and kill you. They’ll avenge my death.”