Bait

Chapter Twenty-Five

“You’re coming with me?” I faced Tane not trusting a thing he said or did.

“Someone has to get you inside the compound.”

“When you say compound, I envision high fences and guards.”

“You’ve an accurate imagination.” He rested the rifle against his shoulder and watched Colby row.

I tried to comb my fingers through my tangled curls and cleared my throat. “You’ll leave him be?”

Tane glanced at me, a touch of sorrow in his eyes. “He’ll come back.” Then he returned inside the boat.

For Colby’s sake, I hope he didn’t. I followed Tane to the living room.

He poured himself another martini. “We need to discuss my plan.” A wide armchair dominated the far side of the room and he sank onto it. “Once the drug affects you, your mind will not have any defenses what-so-ever to invasion and manipulation. Dragos will have control over you and be able read all your thoughts.”

“He did that during our dance at the party. I’m not looking forward to re-experience it.” I remained by the door and chewed my lower lip. The false reassurance of an exit comforted me.

“He’ll know of our plan to drug and kill him.”

This thought never occurred to me. No one worried about that at the party. Then again, I didn’t know their plans, only suspected Rurik of drugging me to control my actions. “That’s not good, Genius.”

“Don’t worry, Rabbit.” He took a sip of his drink and grinned at me. “I have it covered.”

“Why doesn’t that make me feel better? And how come you didn’t mention this before?” I crossed my arms. This boded ill for me.

He stared at me, his expression blank, from across the room while he finished his drink. “You would never have agreed. I have to alter your memories, build blocks to prevent Dragos from seeing them. This means I have to enter your mind.”

Eww.

My face must have reflected the thought since he grimaced and said, “I’m not anticipating this anymore than you are. Being surrounded by pink ponies and rainbows does not appeal to me.”

“You’re not rummaging through my brain. That’s not part of the deal.”

“It’s necessary. None of us will survive Dragos ’ wrath if he learns the truth. I will get ten times worse whatever tortures he concocts for you. It’s the only way you’ll be able to retrieve Rurik alive since Dragos will be able to read your intentions.”

I sighed and felt deflated. Rurik. He’d sacrificed himself for me and now I must do the same. “Will there be any permanent damage?” I tapped my temple with my finger.

“Altering memories is very difficult. It makes up what you are. I can only do a temporary change and the closer to reality, the better it will fit.”

I sat in the closest seat by the entrance. Tane would need to change all my memories of tonight. “Can you tell me in detail what you plan to switch?”

He shrugged. “I can wipe it away after. I will tell Dragos that I exchanged Colby for you.”

“My team would never do that.”

“He’ll believe it. Trading a useless girl for their leader will make perfect sense to him. He doesn’t have a taste for men like I do. Colby holds no appeal to him but you, on the other hand, do.”

“Yeah, he likes women with poor common sense,” I mumbled to myself.

Eric climbed the stairs and joined us. He looked like road kill. His eyes shone with fever from the dark pits encircling them. “Is Colby dead?” A pair of black plaid PJ bottoms threatened to fall from his narrow hips and a red blanket hung over his shoulders. The color made him paler.

“No, I traded Rabbit for him.” Tane lied.

Eric glanced at me as if surprised to find me in the room. “Why?”

I would have given him the one finger salute but I felt more pity for him than anger.

Tane’s eyes narrowed as he stared at his pet who visibly shrank from him.

“We’re taking Rabbit to Dragos as a gift. Start the boat and sail us there.”

Eric nodded and exited to the deck.

“Are you sure he should be driving? He might pass out.”

Tane gave me the same stare he’d directed at Eric. It froze my soul. “Let’s get this done. It won’t be long before we’re at the compound.” He gestured for me to approach.

I didn’t hesitate. If I did I might have changed my mind.

He scooted over in the armchair and made room for me. Barely. Our legs touched when I squeezed in.

“How am I supposed to follow your directions to save Rurik if you’re going to wipe it away?”

“Smart girl, I’m going to leave compulsions for you. Certain visual cues will stimulate you to act. They’ll guide you. I’ve thought this through. Trust me.”

Said the spider to the fly.

“I hate this plan.” I ran my fingers through my curls in a Colby-stressed-out fashion.

“Do you have any other suggestions?”

“Storm the castle and rescue the dude in distress.” I rubbed my eyes. When did I sleep last? A truly deep, eight hours of uninterrupted, blissful rest. Must have been the day before I found Rurik at the club. That vampire wasn’t good for my health and well being.

Tane didn’t even give my suggestion a response. “It won’t hurt if you relax your mental shields.” His touch on my mind slid over my barriers. A gentle pressure asking to come in.

“Easier said than done. Give me a second.” Colby taught how to build them, not how to take them down. It never occurred to either of us that I would want to. I closed my eyes and tried to picture a door opening.

The roar of the yacht’s engine startled me. My mental door disintegrated quicker than it materialized.

“Try again.” Tane angled his body so he could face me.

I started the process over. These shields became a part of a person over time. Images held in place consciously, at first, but after some time you forgot they existed. Until some vampire asked you to take them down.

“Concentrate,” he whispered.

I scrunched my eyes and poured all my effort into the door’s existence.

“Hmm, it looks like you’re trying to lay an egg instead.”

I sighed and opened my eyes. “Your comments are not helping.”

Chin in hand, he sat observing me, not amused. “It takes only a few minutes to sail to Dragos ’ temporary compound.”

“Where are you both from?”

He shook his head. “None of that should concern you. Try again.”

“At the A38 you gave me the impression that you could break through my mental shields.”

“It would hurt.”

He cared if he hurt me? I took a deep breath and blew it out slow. The door came easier this time. Something knocked from the other side. It wanted to come in but it frightened me. Instinct took over and I shrank from the door. I heard a faint growl of frustration. The door bulged inward. It hurt. I ran forward to brace it, to prevent it from shattering but the pain became too much.

I heard a scream then realized it belonged to me.

A hole appeared where the door should have been and darkness flowed in.

Strong arms held me in a firm hug. My face rested on a shoulder and long fingers ran through my hair. I loved it when someone played with my hair. It relaxed me and made me feel loved.

Laurent.

No, I wiped the sleepy cobwebs from my brain cells. Rurik. I pulled him closer and snuggled deeper in his arms.

A deep chuckle vibrated in his chest. “I doubt you’d survive if Eric caught you in my arms, Rabbit.”

Tane’s voice skewered me. A thousand questions assaulted my thoughts. I jerked out of his arms and stumbled out of a wide armchair. The room rocked and swayed with a steady motion.

Where the hell was I? The last I remembered I’d been in Red’s van.

Tane remained curled up in the chair with a small satisfied smile.

“How’d I get here?” The view from a window showed the river. We were on a boat.

“Your people brought you to me as a trade for Colby.”

I recalled Colby’s disappearance and my suspicions that Tane had him. Did I tell Red? “They wouldn’t do such a thing.” I sounded more confident than I felt. They needed Colby, he ran everything. I was just bait. “I don’t want to believe you.” It came out wrong but honest.

“Doesn’t matter.”

The ship shuddered and stopped. I made a futile attempt for the door but Tane caught me in his steel hard arms.

“Save your energy. Dragos likes his prey to be feisty.”

“No.” I wanted the pain of Rurik’s death to go away but not like this. Dragos would make my end long and painful, if he ever let me die.

Tane kept a tight grasp on my arm and guided me to the deck. Eric tied their ship to the dock. He looked awful, like he’d been used as a vampire all-you-can-eat buffet.

We were moored to a small private island. A large stone mansion, or better yet a castle, stood on the gently sloped hill.

Dragging me onto the pier, Tane stopped by Eric. “Stay here and rest. I won’t be long.” We continued to a guarded gate where we were greeted.

“Master Tane, we weren’t expecting you. The Master is in the city at present.” The pale faces of these vampires watched me with interest.

“I brought him a midnight snack.” He pulled me in front of him as they laughed. “Send him a message that I’ve caught him a rabbit.”

They opened the gate and let us through.

“I’ll lock her in his study.”