Marked By The Vampire (Purgatory #2)(24)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Soon,” he promised. As soon as he had her calm and—

Olivia tried to head-butt him. And for the fifth time, the fifth damn time, he attempted to use compulsion on her.

When a vampire drank from a human, a link was formed. The vampire could control his prey. And that link of control wasn’t just exclusive to humans, either. Vamps could control werewolves the same way. They were supposed to be able to control all prey.

But he couldn’t forge any kind of link with her.

They’d radioed Pate on the way there, told him to lock down Purgatory as fast as he could, and updated the boss about Olivia. After he’d sworn to hell and back, Pate had given them directions to this safe house. Just beyond the dock, Shane could see the faded cabin that waited. He could also see the man striding from that cabin—Eric Pate looked pissed.

Shane felt the same way.

“We aren’t going to hurt you,” Shane told Olivia, and he hoped those words were true. They’d have to interrogate her, have to discover all of the secrets that the woman might not even realize she possessed.

She was dangerous, a threat that couldn’t be ignored. Someone in power had arranged for her to visit Purgatory because that someone knew exactly what Olivia was.

In the wrong hands, Olivia could prove to be more than lethal.

She could prove to be f**king Armageddon.

Connor exited the seaplane. Keeping his hold on Olivia, Shane followed. She dug in her heels, she growled behind the gag, and he was pretty sure those growls translated to “Asshole” or “Bastard” and he thought there was a “Burn in hell” thrown in there, too.

“Already been there,” he told her as he pulled her along the dock. “It wasn’t nearly as hot as you’d expect.”

The growled/muffled version of “Asshole” came again.

Pate waited for them at the end of the dock. The wind blew against his hair and sent his coat flapping back, clearly revealing the gun strapped to his hip. Pate had his arms crossed over his chest. As Shane approached him, Pate gave a sad shake of his head. “This wasn’t the way the mission was supposed to end.”

“Yes, well, then maybe you shouldn’t have Ok’ed the entrance of a djinn into Purgatory.”

More muffled grunts came from Olivia.

“I didn’t realize that she was a djinn, not when I sent her in.” His words sounded disgusted. “Now that I know…you’ll see that things have changed. I dug up every bit of research I had on djinns. We can contain her.”

Olivia went silent.

“Fuck me,” Pate muttered, “this isn’t going to be easy.” His gaze swept around the area. “Hide the plane, Connor, then come inside for the interrogation.”

Olivia’s whole body stiffened at the word “interrogation.”

Pate stared at her with hard eyes. Shane had seen that expression on his friend’s face before. It was Pate’s I’ll-Do-Anything-Necessary look. Shit.

“Bring her.” Then Pate turned and headed back toward the cabin.

Shane glanced at Olivia. She shook her head, frantic.

His jaw locked. “You don’t understand how many lives are on the line here.”

A tear leaked down her cheek, and the sight of that lone tear did something to him. His chest ached, and Shane found himself leaning toward her. Brushing that tear away, then letting his fingers linger against her cheek. “I’ll protect you.”

He hadn’t meant to reveal that. Hell, the addiction was worse than he’d thought.

Using his hold on her hand-cuffs, he pulled her toward the cabin. As soon as he got inside and smelled the incense, he knew Pate had been busy. A quick glance at the floor showed the old, intricate symbols that had been painted there, and the familiar scent told Shane that his friend had used blood to make those marks.

A chair sat in the middle of the markings.

Olivia squirmed in his grip, but Shane pushed her toward the chair. In a lightning-fast move, he unhooked her cuffs. She was sighing with relief when he quickly grabbed her arms again and re-cuffed her. Only this time, the cuffs were behind her back.

She mumbled behind her gag and—

He used a knife to cut the gag away.

“You bastard!” Olivia heaved out. Then she blinked and seemed to realize that the gag was gone. “Help! Someone, help me!”

Pate shut the cabin’s door. “There’s no one here to help you.”

Her gaze was on Shane. Help me. It was too easy to read the desperate plea in her eyes.

He tossed away the gag. Put the knife back on the table with the…other instruments that Pate had out. His gaze lingered on that instrument tray. He’d seen paranormal interrogations before, and he knew just how intense they could become.

I can’t let that happen to her.

He put his body in front of Olivia and turned to face Pate. His friend. The man he might have to attack in a few moments. “You have a holding spell in place.”

“Damn straight I do. If she really is a djinn, her wishes won’t work here.” Pate’s lips twisted. “For a little while, anyway.”

“I’m not a djinn!” Olivia shouted.

Pate paced around the room. “Tell me more about what went down on Purgatory.” The words were calm, but an angry tension hung in the air around Pate. “That place is a powder keg, and the last thing I want is for it to explode.”

Shane exhaled on a ragged breath. “Too late. I’d say an explosion is imminent.”

Pate swore. “I’ve already got a dozen of my agents en route to contain the place. I’ve got—”

“A guard took her to the werewolves.” He waved his hand behind him to indicate a glaring Olivia. “And he left her there with them.” Anger rushed through him when he remembered her fear. “I almost didn’t get to her in time.”

Pate’s eyes widened a bit. “All of the guards were supposed to be replaced at Purgatory. New guards, new warden. They were handpicked—”

“By you?” Shane demanded as he felt his fangs burn in his mouth. He’d always trusted Pate, from the first time that he’d seen the guy in that burning desert in the Middle East, but if Pate was turning on him…

“Hell, no, not by me. I don’t manage Purgatory. I run the Para Unit.” His jaw locked. “We catch the beasts. Someone else keeps them caged.”

“That someone is doing a piss-poor job.”

“Uh, hello?” Olivia demanded. The chair’s legs slammed to the floor beneath her heaving, bouncing body. “Could you please do something about the woman you’ve got handcuffed here!”