Chapter Thirteen
Alexandra
“There is no such thing as paranoia. Your worst fears can come true at any moment.”
- Hunter S. Thompson
I knew that I shouldn’t have answered the call coming in on my mobile. Xander had left me in his massive, posh office to wait while he, Drako, and Tristan were attending a board meeting for Petrov Enterprises. Apparently, Alexi had given his shares in the company to Tristan, and this was Tristan’s first meeting on the board. Xander admitted today, when I was surprised at the ease of both Alexi’s and Tristan’s movement during daytime, that all of the Petrov offices and homes had blackout windows and drapes to keep out the sunlight to allow them to visit during daylight.
They had been gone for barely an hour when my mobile started ringing. The caller I.D. was clear. It was someone from the hospital. I was dreading taking the call because I really didn’t need any more incentive to ignore Xander’s paranoia.
Me: “Hello. This is Dr. Gauthier.”
Caller: “Dr. Gauthier, this is Dr. Fitzgerald.”
I stifled a groan. I really didn’t need a lecture on responsibility from the chief-of-staff of the hospital right now.
Me: “What can I do for you, Dr. Fitzgerald?”
Dr. Fitzgerald: “You can start by explaining to me why you’re not in the operating room as you’re scheduled to be.”
Me: “My resignation letter with immediate effect was sent two days ago, Chief. There is no way that you didn’t receive that.”
Dr. Fitzgerald hesitated for a bit too long before he responded, fearfully.
Dr. Fitzgerald: “Look, I need you to come back here to collect your personal effects.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I felt a light sheen of cold sweat coat my entire body. I knew what I had to do. It didn’t mean that I had to like it.
Me: “Put whoever is there with you on the phone, Chief.”
This time, there was an eerie silence before a familiar voice came over the line.
Malachi: “I knew that I could rely on you to cut through the bullshit.”
Me: “What do you want, Malachi?”
Malachi: “I’ve told you what I want. Now I want you to come to me, or I will kill several of your little work colleagues for every half-hour that you are delayed.”
Me: “What is the point of this, Malachi? So, you kill a few people that I knew in my previous life, what then?”
Malachi: “Don’t do that! Don’t lie! You care about these humans. Otherwise, you would not have wasted so many years of your life protecting them.”
Me: “Don’t be stubborn, Malachi. I don’t want to kill another family member, but if you insist on forcing me to come there, I will kill you this time.”
Malachi: “I want to see you try.”
I sighed as the line went dead.
I crossed the room and stuck my head out the door. “Malachi just rang and insisted I put in an appearance at the hospital,” I told Owen, who stood just outside the door with another wolf.
Owen frowned.
“You’re going to take me, but you need to be really stealth about it.” In addition to being able to read minds, I could also alter minds. I knew that Xander would have instructed Owen and his men to guard me, but what he hadn’t realized yet was that I could reshape anyone’s mind to do whatever I wanted them to do.
“It’s already taken care of.” Xander’s voice came from somewhere down the corridor.
It was my turn to frown. What was Xander doing here, and how did he know?
“I had a chip implanted in your phone,” Xander continued as he finally came to stand in front of me. “As soon as the hospital called, the wolves we have stationed there secured the remaining staff and patients. Your Dr. Fitzgerald is dead, however.”
I couldn’t suppress my shocked gasp.
“You cannot get attached to humans,” he admonished like he expected me to forget my human side. “They are too vulnerable and too easy for our enemies to get to.”
“So, in addition to you expecting me to be coldhearted, I’m also supposed to ignore the fact that you invaded my privacy?” Not all of us could be as unfeeling as he was. “How could you do that?!”
“We have explained this to you already. You are my mate. You don’t have to agree with that. You don’t have to like it. Hell, you don’t even have to accept it. Your input does nothing to change that fact. And I did it because you can’t be trusted to exercise simple common sense.”
“I thought you didn’t want a mate!” I said sardonically.
“Raising your voice will not change anything. And what I want doesn’t come into it either.”
I really hated his cold demeanor.
“Am I also supposed to ignore Malachi and his psycho friends threatening my friends and colleagues?” How could they be so unfeeling and do nothing to help those humans?
“Yes,” Xander said coldly. “The best thing you can do for any human you know is to forget about them. Even better is to never have human friends to begin with. It is the reason we never single out any of our employees for recognition or encourage any human relationship. They would become targets.” He said it as though talking to someone simpleminded.
“You and your family cannot completely take over my life! I don’t need you to. I am not that weak,” I muttered.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t like it either. But we can’t all get what we want.” Xander nonchalantly turned to go back to his meeting. “We will be leaving shortly,” he advised, almost like an afterthought, still walking away.
“God, I hate his holier-than-thou attitude,” I muttered when it was just Owen and me.
I got even more pissed when Owen’s lips twitched in amusement. Xander and his people had no respect for me.
I returned to Xander’s office, but I didn’t plan to stay there. I looked down at my low-heeled leather boots, black jeans, black turtleneck, and black leather jacket. I was dressed to go anywhere and take on anything.
Entering the posh bathroom, which sported an extravagant floor-to-ceiling glass-encased shower, I turned the faucet on in the shower and in the sink before flushing the toilet. All to mask the sound of my punching out the small window in the bathroom. I didn’t even have time to admire or take in the gorgeous view of New York City’s skyline. Not waiting to see if my ruse worked, I climbed through the tiny window and slid forty-three stories down the side of the building.
Good thing I wasn’t afraid of heights.
I was feeling quite satisfied with my defiance, especially when I hit vampiric speed to leave New York and was walking into my hospital less than thirty minutes later.
The hospital was buzzing with activity as usual, but with an added urgency that I refused to focus on. I ignored the additional presence of law enforcement, the frantic running around of hospital personnel, and even ignored the hushed, frightened tones of my former colleagues. I was too intent on satisfying my need for blood. Thoroughly thrilled with my success and determined solely on gaining access to the blood bank, I noticed Malachi too late.
I still managed to get off a toxic magick orb. Too bad it only killed Malachi’s vampire bodyguard.
I woke slowly. God, my head hurt. It felt as though there were one hundred little bald men hammering nails into my skull. The harsh artificial lights overhead had me squinting and trying to raise my palm to block the light, but my hands were restrained. I stilled, too stunned that someone dared to tie a dhampir with such flimsy restraints. They were iron chains, but still…
“You’re awake,” Malachi said cheerfully and too damn loud.
“What the hell is this, Malachi?” My voice was barely above a whisper. I pulled on the restraints, surprised that I had barely the strength to lift the chains, much less break them. My throat felt incredibly dry, and the hunger I had been keeping at bay for days was now making my stomach cramp and claw at me.
“I told you to join our side, but you picked the wrong side. The losing side,” he taunted. “If you wouldn’t join me in destroying the Petrovs, I’ll be damned if I’ll let you help them destroy the rest of us.”
“I didn’t choose any damn side.” I couldn’t concentrate above the noise and pain in my head. “I am simply surviving. Family has brought me nothing but grief. Case in point.” I didn’t even try to keep the derision from my voice.
“No, you don’t get to do that,” Malachi said menacingly. “You don’t get to lie to me.”
“I am not lying. But you know what, I don’t give a damn what you think. Just tell me what you want. And don’t tell me any crap about being my great-grandpa or whatever long-lost relative you are today. What the hell do you want?!”
Malachi laughed bitterly. “I wanted what Alexi has. I wanted a chance to build a legacy with my flesh and blood! But he turned you against me,” he sneered. “Alexi poisoned your mind.”
“Alexi didn’t poison my mind. You are simply an evil old man,” I spat. Why couldn’t I hear anything or read the minds of anyone in the room? I could sense them, but I couldn’t see anything because my head was restrained and I couldn’t turn it to look around me, nor could I hear anything outside of Malachi’s voice either. Usually, my heightened senses could hear an insect fly, but I couldn’t pick up on anything. These restraints should be nothing to me. Why couldn’t I break them? Ah, fuck it! “Xander! Where the hell are you?!” God, it felt as if someone slapped me upside the head with a baseball bat and the damn bat was embedded in my skull.
“You should have been my salvation, dammit!” Malachi yelled.
Oww! God, could he stop yelling already? I had the mother of all headaches.
“You could have given me a reason to be better.” Malachi was determined to damage my eardrums.
“You tortured my mate,” I gritted out over the pounding in my head. “You are delusional if you think that I would do anything to save you.”
“What I did to him is child’s play compared to what I will do to you, great-granddaughter.”
“Do your worst, asshole.” Oh God, kill me already!
Malachi laughed darkly. “This place has been improved since your mate was brought here. I hope you enjoy it as much as he did,” he taunted. “Have fun, gentlemen.” His retreating footsteps on the stone floor were the only sound for a tense minute, and then several pairs of hands grazed my skin. Grazed my hair. Poking and pinching me about the body. Taunting me with their presence, their musky foul male odors, and mocking snickers.
And then several hands gripped various parts of my arms, my legs, and my hair. I braced for the pain, braced to be pulled apart limb by limb and my hair follicles from the root, but just as suddenly as the hands grabbed me, they were gone.
And then all hell broke loose around me.