Marquis scowled, thinking about Kristina’s idiot boyfriend, Dirk. The man was a human menace, or at least he wanted to be. He rode around on a purple Harley with a tattoo of a scorpion on the side of his neck, another of a python on his steroid-enhanced left bicep. He smoke, drank, cursed like a sailor, and tried way too hard to convince the world that he was the scariest thing next to Satan. Marquis scoffed. He could have squashed the human like a bug on several occasions, drained the blood right from underneath that ridiculous scorpion, but Kristina had strictly forbidden it. In fact, she had begged Marquis to stay away from him. What she saw in the imbecile, Marquis would never know. Still, he had always respected her wishes—
Until now.
Enough was enough.
“Where is Kristina now?” he asked.
Chad sighed. “She’s in your office. We cleaned her up, but she needs to see a doctor.”
Marquis restrained an instinctive snarl. Chad had no idea he was a vampire. “Where’s Dirk?”
“Don’t know—probably down at the bar getting drunk. He’s not in the casino, but that’s just a matter of time, especially if she doesn’t come home after her shift.”
“Well, keep her in my office; I’ll be right there.”
“Will do. Oh, and boss—”
“What?”
“Sorry to bother you away from work.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Marquis hung up. He placed the phone in the inner pocket of the light-weight jacket he wore over a well-fitted, black muscle-tee and turned around just in time to catch the beautiful sight of Princess Ciopori stepping out onto the front veranda.
Her hair was twisted to one side, the ends collected in a thick, looped braid that hung enticingly over her bare shoulder, and she was wearing a sleeveless, ruffled dress that hugged her curves like it had been made just for her—another thoughtful contribution from Napolean.
Marquis placed his hand over his heart. There were no words.
Ciopori instantly brightened. “Do you see something you like, warrior?”
Marquis stepped toward her and purred, a deep throaty growl rising from his broad, muscular chest. As he bent to taste her lips, his hands found their way to the small of her back and he pulled her tightly against him. “Mmm,” he moaned, his tongue sweeping over hers. “Yes, I do.”
Ciopori smiled, and then she took a step back. “Something troubles you, warrior, and it is more than the concern you share for myself and Vanya.”
Marquis shook his head, not wanting to let go. “It’s nothing—just business...work. Just something I need to take care of. Believe me, I will handle it as quickly as possible and return to you this night...I promise.”
Ciopori’s eyes positively sparkled. “And I will hold you to your word.” She rested her hand on her stomach and became all at once serious. “I must confess, I am fearful of falling asleep again. After twenty-eight hundred years in the ground, I am terrified that the spell might—”
Marquis pressed his finger against her lips. “Shhh. None of us will let you slip away, Ciopori. Don’t worry about such things.”
The princess smoothed out her dress then. “I’ll try.” She looked off into the distance, took a deep breath, and turned back once more to look at him. “Now then, as for your proprietary affairs. Be it known, warrior, that I do understand a man’s obligations. Do not forget that my father was the king”—she stumbled over the word father, her losses too great to comprehend, and then, she simply collected herself with an ingrained dignity and continued—“but if you do not wish to share the details of your business, that is acceptable as well.”
Marquis reached out to take her hand, still enamored by the way she spoke. He gently pulled her back into his arms. “It’s not that, Ciopori. It’s just that it’s ugly business...nothing you need to concern yourself with right now. Trust me: You will see more of my life than you care to, soon.” He gently nipped at her throat, nibbled just beneath her ear, and kissed his way forward from her jaw to the corners of her mouth. Blessed gods, he couldn’t help himself. The door suddenly opened, and they quickly broke apart.
Nachari poked his head out. His deep, forest green eyes appeared darker in the natural light, and his thick mane of hair fell forward as he glanced around. “Did you get a hold of Chad?”
Marquis shot him an annoyed glance. “Yes. What do you need, brother?”
Nachari looked at Marquis, glanced over at the princess, and then stared at Marquis again....smiling a huge cat-that-ate-the-canary smile.
Marquis sighed. “Do you have a purpose, Nachari?”
Nachari blanched, feigning insult at Marquis’s blunt dismissal. “Do you mean right now—or as in life in general?”
Ciopori cleared her throat.
Marquis turned to regard the princess then. “Forgive me; have you met my youngest brother?”
“No, I have not yet had the pleasure.” Her voice was deliberately kind. “I believe he was speaking with Napolean when I passed through the room.”
Marquis gestured in Nachari’s general direction. “This is my brother, the Master Wizard Nachari. He was born of the last set of my mother’s twins.”
“’Tis a pleasure to meet you, wizard,” Ciopori said.
“The pleasure is all mine, princess. And I have to tell you, it is a gift from the gods to have you and your sister back where you belong.”
Ciopori nodded and smiled, her manner gracious.
And Marquis waited...while the angel of his dreams took her first real, in-depth look at his little brother.
There was no question: All of the Silivasi brothers were handsome to a fault, and Marquis’s harsh beauty had a powerful effect on females, but Nachari Silivasi was in a class all to himself. And unfortunately, he knew it. Whenever he flashed that radiant, flawless smile—and his ridiculously perfect features lit up like he was more god than man—women lost their composure. They swooned. Stuttered. And sometimes just stood dazed with their mouths gaping open, until eventually, they got used to the sight of him. His masculine beauty was arresting.
Ciopori looked back and forth between the two brothers. “While the adjustment is overwhelming, we are fortunate to have been found by my brother’s descendants.” She quickly turned her gaze back to Marquis, her eyes glistening with adoration...for only him.
Marquis glared at Nachari. “Well?”
“My phone,” Nachari said.
“What?”
“My phone. You asked me, what do I need—I need my phone back.”
“Oh.” Marquis retrieved the phone from his jacket and tossed the thing so hard it became a missile, the casing shattering upon impact with Nachari’s hand.
Nachari cursed and glowered at Marquis, incredulous. Fortunately for the Master Warrior, all vampires had lightning quick reflexes, or the phone might have entered the house and struck the king—or worse, Vanya.
“I’m sorry,” Marquis quipped. “I—”
“Yes, I know,” Nachari snarled, “you underestimated your own strength.”
Marquis peered at the hundreds of little pieces of metal in Nachari’s palm. “Did the SIM card make it?”
Nachari frowned. “You need therapy, my brother; you really do.”
Marquis waved a dismissive hand. “Our kind does not...do therapy. Why do you always say such...inconsequential things?”
Nachari rubbed the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “Why, indeed, Marquis.”
Marquis pulled back. “You are angry now, wizard? I can buy you another phone.”
Nachari just shook his head and turned to face Ciopori. “Good luck with him,” he mused. And then he pulled his head back inside and shut the door.
When Marquis looked over at the princess, she was standing several feet away with one hand on her hip, the corner of her mouth turned up in a scolding smile. “So, I take it vampires are not only passionate...and protective...but they are also extremely jealous and territorial. Is that not right, warrior?”
Marquis ba
red his fangs and stalked over to the beautiful female, moving very, very slowly, his gait the easy shift of a predator, his large, muscular frame expanding and contracting with every step. “Extremely territorial,” he snarled.
Ciopori laughed and covered her mouth with one hand. “You mustn’t be concerned about other men, Marquis.” And then she eyed the strong warrior from the tip of his head to the bottom of his toes and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “You have absolutely nothing to be jealous of, my love. Trust me.”
three
Marquis threw open the door to his office at the end of the main foyer on the top, executive floor of the Dark Moon Casino. The elegant suite took up both sides of the hall, the center facing outward toward the eight remaining offices. It was decorated in rich, dark colors and sparsely fitted with refined cherry-wood furniture.
Marquis’s desk faced the entry, overlooking a black leather sofa, which was flanked by two, matching high-backed chairs with dual cherry-wood end tables. The east and west walls were made of floor-to-ceiling windows—the back wall, a series of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
Kristina Riley sat on a burgundy chaise in front of the window, her small frame slumped over, her knees tucked tightly to her chest. Her face was shielded behind her shoulder-length, naturally-curly red hair, but Marquis could smell the bruises...as well as her fear.
As was typical for Kristina, she was wearing a suede mini-skirt with a fitted top and a pair of three-inch heels; her legs were scratched and bleeding as if she had tried to crawl away from her attacker across a rough patch of ground. There were fingerprints marring her throat and a cigarette burn on her left arm.
Chad Baxter immediately jumped up when his boss entered the room: The stalwart employee went through the same series of adjustments each time Marquis showed up for work. There was an initial scent of fear, an instinctive reaction to the presence of such a powerful creature—whether Chad knew what Marquis was or not—then his adrenaline would level off as he remembered the trust between them; and finally, he would shift from his natural dominant personality to a more appropriate submissive one.
It all took place lightning-quick, on an unconscious level, yet none of it escaped Marquis’s awareness. It was simple, really. Marquis Silivasi was an intimidating male, even to other vampires. To humans, his presence was like having a wild animal in their midst: His predatory nature seeped through his pores, the threat of aggression simmered just below the surface, and his calm, sculpted exterior did very little to hide the unconscious projection of what he was.
To her credit, Kristina displayed no fear. Her reaction to Marquis was always the same—one of casual acceptance and absolute safety.
“Evening, boss,” Chad greeted.
Marquis looked in the male’s direction and inclined his head before stalking over to Kristina. “What happened?”
Kristina slowly looked up beneath a black-eye and brushed a trickle of blood away from her busted lip. And then she simply shook her head.
“Where is he?” Marquis demanded.
Kristina shook her head more adamantly this time. “Don’t, Marquis...please. It’ll only make things worse.”
“Not this time.” Marquis scowled. “This time, when I am through with Dirk, he will never touch you again.”
Kristina looked up and studied her boss with scrutinizing, deep blue eyes. Her heart-shaped lips quivered as she recognized the truth of what he said. “Do you mind if I talk to Marquis alone?” she asked Chad.
Chad took a step toward the door. “Not at all.” He regarded Marquis. “I’ll be right outside if either of you need me for anything.”
Marquis nodded. “Thank you.”
Once the door was closed behind Chad, Kristina stood up and tried to walk to the other side of the room, but Marquis caught her by her arm and turned her to face him. He raised her chin with his hand. “If I don’t put an end to this, Kristina, he is going to kill you. Is that what you want?”
Kristina frowned. “No…no, of course I don’t. But I don’t want him dead, either.”
Marquis remained silent.
Kristina sighed then, her bright eyes becoming dim. “Marquis, we both know you can’t deal with Dirk—after everything he’s done—and not kill him. What are you gonna do? Warn him? Break an arm or a leg? He’ll say something smart. I know he will...and that’ll be the end of it.” She reached out and took his hand. “Please, boss…let me handle it: I’ll figure somethin’ out. I swear.”
Marquis surveyed the bruises on her neck, Dirk’s fingerprints. “Kristina, you know that I respect you, that my family cares for you, and that it is not our way to interfere in the affairs of...mortals. But this thing with Dirk...it’s over. Your relationship with him is over.”
Kristina put her head down in her hands and sighed with frustration. She was fighting to hold back tears. “What do you mean by over?”
Marquis refused to be more specific. “Just...over.”
Kristina began to shake. “Oh, God, Marquis, this is way out of hand. You can’t just—Marquis, if you took Dirk outta the picture, you’d have to erase all my memories, or I’d go insane. So, what then? You’re just gonna wipe-out the last five years of my life? No way! Please...don’t. Please. I’m asking you not to—just let me call the police.”
“Again?” Marquis asked.
Kristina nodded. “They’ll lock him up this time. I swear, they will.”
“For how long?” Marquis scowled. “How many restraining orders has he violated already, Kristina?”
Kristina shook her head. “That was my fault...I took them all back.”
“Yes…so you could go back to him.”
Kristina nodded and averted her eyes. “I know.”
“Kristina,” he said sternly, “it really doesn’t matter if it’s Dirk’s inability to stop hurting you or your inability to stop letting him, the end result is the same. And I don’t see either one of you stopping.”
Kristina started to protest, but Marquis held up his hand. “The thing of it is this: When you came into our world, when you were given the choice to keep or relinquish your memories—your knowledge of Dark Moon Vale—you made a covenant to honor and serve the house of Jadon in exchange for our shelter, protection, and care. We are not as you are. I am not as you are. I have tried to view this from a human point of view, but Dirk has crossed an irreversible line: As a male who is bound by a covenant to protect you, I no longer have a choice in the matter. These are the laws of my kind.”
Marquis walked over to his desk and sat down in the large burgundy chair. He placed his elbows on the desktop and folded his hands; his chin rested on his fingers while he considered his next move.
Kristina waited quietly, her body visibly trembling.
After several minutes had passed, Marquis raised his head and regarded Kristina with resolve. He knew his eyes were cold, like two hollow coals, as they always appeared vacant when he made up his mind to enact final-retribution. “I will allow you to keep all of your memories, as long as you show me that you can handle them. But Dirk’s time with you has—how shall I say?—come to an end.”
Kristina gasped. “No, Marquis! No! Please, just listen. I have this—”
Marquis raised his hand again, this time taking abrupt control over Kristina’s body. For a fleeting moment, her vocal cords no longer worked, and her tongue was paralyzed. It was just long enough to halt her speech—like flipping an off-switch on her protest—while still forceful enough to show her the discussion was over.
Marquis meant business.
Kristina sat down in one of the high-backed chairs across the desk and began to cry, her face growing white as a sheet.
Marquis hit the intercom and asked Chad to return.
When Chad came in, he took one look at Kristina, glanced over at Marquis, and winced, his soft, hazel eyes narrowing with compassion. “It’ll be all right, Kristina,” he offered.
“No, it won’t,” Kristina sobbed.
When Marquis didn’
t bother responding, Chad’s face turned the same shade as hers. Only, he wasn’t about to question his boss.
“So, has her schedule been taken care of?” Marquis asked, abruptly changing the subject.
Chad cleared his throat and ran his hand through his short, dirty-blond hair. “Uh...yeah, Lacy is covering her shift for tonight, and José was able to get Emily to cover for the rest of the week.”
Marquis nodded. “Good. And security? How are you handling that?”
Chad sat down in the remaining chair across from his boss. “Well, you said you wanted us to allow Dirk to come in if he showed up; so right now, we’ll know the minute he breaches the perimeter, and at least two guards will stay tight. But no one’s gonna confront him or call the police...not without your go-ahead. Unless of course, he acts like the ass he is, and we have to deal with him in the interest of our other patrons.” He immediately turned to Kristina and shrugged. “Sorry.”
Kristina began to sob all over again.
“Good. That’s fine.” My brother...
Kagen Silivasi answered the telepathic call immediately. Greetings, Marquis: How are you?
I am well, Kagen, and you?
Very well.
Kagen simply waited then.
Marquis didn’t call out to his brothers often. Usually, if he wanted something, he just demanded it, or took it, or put the command directly in their minds. If Marquis was calling him now, Kagen had to know it was important.
I am at the casino with Chad and Kristina, Marquis explained. Dirk has made a real mess of her this time. I would like to bring her by the health center.
Kagen sounded puzzled. You want me to treat her? Why not just use a human doctor, as usual?
Not this time, Marquis argued. As soon as Dirk shows his face, I’m going to remove the problem once and for all; the less contact we have with humans, the less potential drama...or mess.
Kagen cleared his throat. I see. He paused for a moment. Well, I must say, I’m glad you’re going to finally put a stop to this.