Riley Jensen 03 - Tempting Evil Part 27

"And you spend a lot of time around wolves, do you?" I asked mildly.

Merle's grin was all antic.i.p.ation as he briefly dragged his gaze away from the fight. "No, but I'm intending to."

My gaze slipped down his body. The fighting had aroused him-which undoubtedly meant another session of uninspired s.e.x coming up. Oh, joy.

Though I'd take a weekend of uninspired, boring s.e.x over spending five minutes more in Starr's company, any day.

"There are two types of males in the wolf world-those who are alphas-pack leaders or would-be pack leaders-and those who are betas-pack followers. Alphas lead not just because they are fast and strong, but because they are willing to go to extreme lengths to protect pack and kin. I'm betting that wolf there is an alpha."

"But he's not protecting pack here," Starr said.

I glanced at him. His expression might be giving little away, but his suspicion was just about drowning my "other" senses. I forced a smile. "You can protect a pack of one, you know."

"Does that mean you consider yourself an alpha female?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I've never really thought about it, but maybe I am."

"Then perhaps we should let you fight this wolf and see what happens."

I couldn't help the glance I cast Rhoan's way. Nor could I help another surge of worry and fear. Rhoan must have felt it, because he stumbled briefly-for no reason-and barely righted himself to avoid another blow. "He's military. I'm only street trained. I hardly think that's a fair match, do you?"

His grin was another one of those chill-inducing things. "One thing you have to learn, little girl, is that what I want, I get."

Most little dictators thought that-right until the moment death looked them in the eye and ripped out their stinking, rotten hearts. And more and more, I wanted to be there to see that. If not do it. I might not want to kill on a long-term basis, but on a short-term, one-off basis, yeah, I could handle it.

But why did he want to see us fight? What was the point of it, beyond seeing if we were willing to bash the c.r.a.p out of each other... my thoughts stilled.

That was it exactly.

It was just another test. Just another way to check his suspicions.

s.h.i.+t, s.h.i.+t, s.h.i.+t.

He clapped his hands, and the giant stopped instantly. Rhoan was a little slower on the uptake, dropping the suddenly still giant with a kick to the back of the knee, The sound of bone snapping seemed to echo around the room. The giant dropped like a stone and grabbed his leg, and though he made no sound, the look he cast Rhoan's way suggested my brother wouldn't want to go near him anytime soon.

And I very much suspected it wasn't so much that Rhoan hadn't heard the signal, but rather, had wanted to ensure the giant could play no further part in proceedings. For which I was extremely grateful. After my comments about the giant's lack of a.s.sets, I'm sure Starr would have allowed him into the fray. And that wouldn't have been pleasant in any way.

"Change of plans, gentlemen," Starr said. "The lady to my right has mentioned her interest in entering the fray."

"The lady in question said no such thing." Which Starr knew. I was just reiterating it for Rhoan's sake, lest he think me a complete moron.

"A moot point, considering it is what I desire. Merle, escort her to the arena, please."

Well, f.u.c.k. What the h.e.l.l was I going to do now? Logically I might be able to hold my own against my brother, but I wasn't playing myself here. And Poppy was a street sc.r.a.pper who wouldn't last three minutes with a fighter of Rhoan's ilk. I was going to go down, and I was going to get b.l.o.o.d.y. There was no other choice-for either of us.

And the bleakness in my brother's eyes as his gaze briefly met mine suggested he'd reached the exact same conclusion.

"Now this is going to be fun," Merle said, grabbing my arm and forcing me upright. "Nothing like a bit of bloodshed to get a man going."

I let my gaze drift down the length of him casually. "Looks as if you need it, because there certainly doesn't seem to be much happening there now."

His grip tightened and he all but tugged me off my feet as he pulled me roughly around the table. "I'll make you eat those words later, little wolf. Be sure of it."

"Can't wait."

I forced a dry note into my voice, and he snarled-a sound that was half human, half cat, and totally unpleasant.

"Good, because you won't be waiting long. And I shall enjoy licking the blood from your skin as I f.u.c.k you."

And I'd enjoy raiding his mind and trying to get the information we needed so we could get the h.e.l.l out of this insane asylum.

He all but threw me into the arena. I stumbled a few paces before catching my balance, then turned to face Rhoan. "Do your worst, wolf."A slight smile that only I could see touched his lips. "I promise not to hurt your pretty face too much, but I give no such promises to the rest of you."

"Like I can believe any promise made in this place." I s.h.i.+fted my feet, trying to acclimatize to the reeds under my feet. It was slipperier than the sand I was used to training on, holding far less grip. I'd have to be careful.

"Five bucks on the b.i.t.c.h," Moss called. "And owners.h.i.+p for the night if she wins."

Which was an incentive to lose if ever I'd heard one.

"Done deal." Merle was standing at the sidelines, his arms crossed and expression avid. "But this blood is mine to lap, I can a.s.sure you."

"The winner is mine," Starr said quietly. "I shall find either one entertaining."

If I ever needed another reason to lose, then that was it. Starr's evil was soul wearying enough now-I couldn't stand it one on one, for hours on end. I'd die-maybe not physically but probably psychically. I wasn't a trained empath and my growing talent was too raw, too untrained, to survive the vile outpourings from Starr's aura for very long.

Not that I wanted my brother to face him, either, but at least he wasn't psychic and he did have the advantage of years of training behind him. At the very least, he'd give away less than I would.

"Let the fight begin."

The words were barely out of Starr's mouth and my brother was attacking, a whir of arms and legs and vicious, deadly blows. I backed away, ducking and weaving and generally avoiding each attack the best I could. The force of each one blew across my skin like a cyclone, sending chills down my spine. And yet, having seen my brother in action before, I knew he was nowhere near fighting speed.

Which was scary, considering how fast he was.

My foot slipped on the reeds, and as I struggled to catch my balance, the air screamed yet another warning. I twisted away from the blow, felt a slither of pain along my side as my muscles protested the sudden movement, then yelped as a blow skimmed past my cheek, drawing blood. Even so, the blow wasn't at full wolf force. Rhoan was holding back, keeping his promise. And that was dangerous.

I dropped and spun, kicking his legs out from underneath him. As his rump hit the floor, amus.e.m.e.nt briefly lit his eyes, then he was up and at me in one smooth movement. In the following few minutes, he let me know just how much he had been holding back.

If I'd been me, not Poppy, I could have let rip and at least held my own. But that wasn't an option here. Poppy was part human, not part vampire, and the time had come to get b.l.o.o.d.y.

I avoided one more blow, then let his roundhouse kick hit me in the side. The force of the blow hit like a red wave, a shudder of pain that went from my hip to the end of every hair follicle. The sheer power behind it sent me flying across the arena. I stumbled, fighting to keep my balance before going down on all fours. The vibration of Rhoan's approach ran through the reeds.

I grabbed a handful before twisting around and las.h.i.+ng out as hard as I could. The straw whipped across his chest, drawing a thin line of blood. He laughed, a cold, harsh sound I'd never heard from him before, then he bent and grabbed a handful of straw himself. I jumped to my feet and backed away. He followed, the thick slithers of golden reeds creating a whoos.h.i.+ng sound as he whipped them back and forth.

I ducked several slas.h.i.+ng blows, then lunged forward, attempting an inside punch at his solar plexus. It was a stupid move and we both knew it. He dropped the straw as he sidestepped, then grabbed my arm and twisted it. Hard. Bone snapped and a scream ripped up my throat. As the red tide of pain welled, another blow came, not to my body but to my chin, snapping my head back and sending me flying. Stars danced in front of my eyes, and my mind briefly flirted with unconsciousness.

Then my back hit the floor, my head something solid, and the flirtation became cold hard fact.

Chapter Twelve

It didn't last long enough. Awareness surfaced, drifting in and out, as if my mind was caught in a fragmented dream. My arm felt like fire, and the heat of it mingled with pain that seared deep and hard. Laughter rolled around me, through me, a pain of a different kind but just as sickening. Starr enjoying the moment, enjoying my agony.

The reeds under my back trembled with the force of approaching steps, then hands were on me, moving me. The blackness surged again, and for a while there was nothing but the peace of that void.

When consciousness surfaced again, it came with a feeling of time having pa.s.sed and a deep sense of familiarity. Of having been here before, in this same situation if not the same place.

My arms were raised above my head, tied at the wrists with something that was smooth and tight. The pins and needles in my fingers suggested they'd been that way for some time. The fierce fire and pain of the break had gone, meaning somewhere along the line I'd s.h.i.+fted shape and healed my arm, but the memory of it still drifted through my limbs and there was a weakness in my right arm that had nothing to do with the pins and needles. The rest of my body just ached with a tiredness that made no sense.

Rhoan hadn't bashed me around that much, nor had we fought very long, so why the bone-deep weariness?

Sweat stung the air, sweat that was both mine and another's and with it came the heady aroma of s.e.x and l.u.s.t. My back pressed against something soft, silky, my stomach against flesh as hot as the sun. Hands were on me, caressing me, their touch bruising and familiar. Heat filled me, thrusting hard and fast if not deep, but the crescendo he was reaching certainly wasn't mine.

I cracked open my eyes. It was Merle who rode me, Merle who reached for his o.r.g.a.s.m.

Relief swept through me. Merle certainly appeared one of the saner inmates of the asylum, and at least I knew I could touch his thoughts. If I could touch them, I could control them. Maybe not for a hugely long time, but long enough to get the h.e.l.l out of this place.

Maybe.

But until I knew where we were-what the odds were-I wasn't doing squat.

My gaze drifted beyond him. The sheer blandness of the room was instantly recognizable. We were back in Merle's bedroom-and had been here for some time if the aroma of s.e.x and sweat riding the air was any indication. I drew in a deep, careful breath, testing what other scents lie in the room. There was little beyond the stale-ness that came with air-conditioning. I couldn't see anyone else, nor could I smell them-though that in itself didn't mean much considering Starr's DNA experiments.

Merle's body began to jerk spasmodically. I closed my eyes, keeping still as he came. He slumped against me for several minutes, his dead weight making breathing difficult, then he slowly climbed off.

I cracked my eyes open again, watching him. And noted the fresh scars down his back and barely healed scratches on his arms and side. It looked as though Merle had been a little too close when I'd changed shape to heal my wounds. Couldn't be sad about that.

And it certainly explained why I was tied up.

"Iktar," he growled. "A drink."

The spirit lizard was there almost instantly, a bottle of soda and a gla.s.s in hand. He poured the drink then offered the gla.s.s to Merle.

"Sir, Mr. Starr phoned five minutes ago and said that he will be finished by six. He wants you in the toy room at that time."

Merle glanced at his watch-which indeed was gold and gaudy. "Gives me just over an hour to play with the b.i.t.c.h."

It was five already? I'd been with this b.a.s.t.a.r.d for nearly six hours? Christ, no wonder I was achy-it wasn't from the fight, it was the pounding I was getting from Merle.

Obviously, Starr's lieutenants had nothing better to do all day than rut like dogs. Though even the worst of us dogs had a h.e.l.l of a lot more cla.s.s in the loving stakes than Merle did.

Iktar nodded, but as he turned, his glance fell on me. He knew I was awake. That was so evident in the gleam in his eyes, the slight smile touching his thin lips.

Merle came back to the bed as Iktar left. I closed my eyes, but my other senses were on high. Not that they needed to be.

Merle was extraordinarily easy to track-all I had to do was listen to the soft sound of his steps and follow his sweaty, in-need- of-a-shower smell.

The bed dipped as he sat on it, then his fingers were on my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, plucking and pulling my nipples. It wasn't pleasant to simply lie there and take it, especially when my wolf soul wanted to rise up and rip the b.a.s.t.a.r.d's hand off. It was even harder when his fingers moved down, roughly exploring. I'm not sure what he was trying to achieve, but it certainly wasn't any form of foreplay I was familiar with.

After a while, his l.u.s.t stirred anew and his body s.h.i.+fted over mine. As his c.o.c.k slid inside, I carefully felt for his mind. His s.h.i.+elds were as tight as ever, but as his body began to move, the wall wavered, became less solid. It still felt like I was pus.h.i.+ng through thick glue, but either I was stronger than before, or Merle's recent efforts in the loving stakes had left him weaker, because this time I got through quicker.

Once past that barrier, I didn't bother with finesse, simply stormed in and took control. It was a rout in every sense-in a matter of seconds, his body and mind were mine. Now I just had to decide what to do with him.

I ordered him off, then made him lie on the bed as I searched his thoughts for any mention of the labs. But as before, there was little. Either he didn't know, or the knowledge was buried so deep it would take hours and hours to uncover. As I had neither, I called for Iktar.

The spirit lizard appeared instantly, a smile of amus.e.m.e.nt touching his lips as he walked across to the bed and undid my bindings. "And here he was, only last week, boasting he was strong enough to repel any psychic attack."

"Baring Starr, I'm guessing."

Iktar shrugged eloquently. "That is a given."

I sat up and rubbed my wrists. "Are there cameras in these rooms?"

"Only in the hall."

"No other security device we should be wary about?""No. Unless Merle regains enough control to hit the alarm on the panel near the bedside table."

"Good." I rose and headed for the bathroom I'd seen my last time here.

Iktar followed, watching as I soaped up and washed the blood and sweat and fluids from my skin. If he was at all aroused, it wasn't showing. "What is your plan? You cannot hope to hold him forever."

"I know." Even as I rinsed the soap away, I could feel the muted ache behind my eyes beginning to grow. I may have controlled people this completely before, but never one who was psychic. Controlling Merle took a whole lot more power-and strength-than I thought it would. "Who has access to the main security area?"

"Merle, Moss, and those guards who man it. Access is thumbprint and key-coded and there's armed guards at the entrance and exits."

Joy. "Is there one man or two on each s.h.i.+ft?"

"Generally three, but because of the kitchen and the loss they incurred there, they've pared it down to two so they could put a watch on the rebuilding crew until new recruits arrive."

Well, at least Nerida's action had achieved one good thing. Not that it pacified the dead. Their need for revenge still heated the air. I couldn't see them, though, and of that I was glad. Vampires were dead enough for me-I didn't need to cope with the truly dead as well. "You'd better pray that the bomb controls are in central security, because there is no way in h.e.l.l I am willingly going back into Starr's rooms."

"We had an agreement-"

"Have you ever been to Starr's rooms? Have you any idea of the security he has in there? I wouldn't get two steps in and I'd be dead."

I stepped out of the shower and he handed me a towel. "If you can control Merle, maybe he-"

"Starr is a powerful telepath. He'd sense my leash on Merle the minute I got within range of him."

Iktar was silent. I asked, "What of the labs on the second floor? Would there be a key stored in security?"

He shrugged. "I would guess so."