Marked By The Vampire (Purgatory 2)

Shane sank his teeth into Pate’s wrist. The blood hit him, a punch of power, but it was nothing like the power boost he got from Olivia.

Olivia.

Shane shoved Pate’s wrist away. He pushed his bones back into place and ignored the agony that pierced him.

He forced himself to rise. Shane took a step and managed to stay upright. Mostly. “They…took her.”

“And we’ll get her back,” Pate promised. “She was bleeding so—”

“I’ve got her scent,” Connor said at once as he dropped the guard he’d just clawed.

Shane staggered past them.

“You don’t need her scent to track her,” Pate said, coming up behind him. “Shane took her blood. There’s nowhere she can go that he can’t ever follow.”

Nowhere. I’d follow them to hell in order to get her back. “Case…is upstairs.” He hardly recognized his own growling voice. “Help him.” Then he looked back at Pate. “And try to…keep up, with me.”

You’ll die for this, Senator Quick.

And Shane would make sure that it wouldn’t be an easy death.

Olivia was his. Body, soul, heart. No one hurt her and lived.

The darkness that he kept chained so tightly took over and Shane started his hunt.

***

They’d gagged her. Tied up her hands. Bound her feet. And the senator kept a gun at her head as the SUV hurtled down the street.

“Are you angry, Olivia?” Donald asked as he leaned in close to her. “Are you afraid?”

She was pissed, and he should be the one who was afraid.

“I know all of your secrets. I know more than you can imagine.”

She hated him. This, this was the man who’d attended all of her graduation ceremonies? Who’d been such a solid supporter in her life over the years?

He was using me, all along.

“Your father was a full-blood djinn. Your mother didn’t realize that, though, not until it was too late. I actually think that part of her was always afraid of you. Afraid of what you might be.”

No, no, her mother had loved her.

“She saw your father die. Vampires came after him…they like the taste of djinn blood, you see. The blood of a paranormal always gives them more power, but a djinn’s blood—that’s something quite special to them.”

My vampire will come after me.

“The vampires came in full force and attacked your father. But he fought them. Took out most of those fanged bastards, slaughtered them, right in front of your mother. You were there, too, screaming.” His lips twisted in a stark smile that was revealed by the faint light in the SUV. “At least, that’s what she told me.”

The SUV hit a pothole and the whole vehicle lurched.

She squeezed her eyes shut because she thought he might shoot her then. How easy would it be for that gun to discharge if the SUV hit another pothole that hard?

“Better move this,” Donald murmured. “Don’t want to accidently destroy all that magic.”

That was all she was to him. Magic. Power.

But her eyes opened and she saw that he’d lowered the gun.

“Do you remember how he died?” Now he sounded curious.

Olivia shook her head.

“It was her,” Donald whispered. “He’d fought the vamps. He was weak, and she killed him. Your mother thought he was evil. She’d seen what his wishes could do…watched as he twisted desires and played with the lives of humans. Your father—all djinn enjoy torment. Your mother knew he’d make you just like him, so she had to act.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks. She wanted his words to be nothing more than lies but…

I don’t think they are.

“Your powers were dormant. I knew I had to wake them, I just didn’t know how.” Now frustration thickened his words. “I sent you to killers. I put you face to face with evil, hoping it would trigger your own darkness.”

He’d gotten her access to all of those serial killers in prison. She’d thought he wanted to help people, to stop death. But he’d just wanted to use her.

“But the humans weren’t enough. They couldn’t break through your wall. I’d met a shaman who told me that fear would be the key for breaking you.”

So he’d sent her to Purgatory. Opportunity of a lifetime, my ass.

“Everyone fears the monsters there.”

Olivia swallowed.

“But it still wasn’t enough. So I had to try once more…all in,” he murmured. “I thought…maybe what kills a djinn can make a djinn.”

She glared at him.

“Blood and fire,” he said.

The cabin. The werewolves.

“That woke you up, didn’t it?” he whispered. “That woke up the beast that was sleeping in you. And now, that beast is mine.”

He thought he was going to control her?

He needed to think the hell again.

“You know the secret to controlling a djinn?” He put his hand on her chest. Right over her heart. “It’s here.”

The SUV stopped. Behind them, more headlights flashed. Another vehicle had pulled up behind them.

“You’re going to grant my wishes, Olivia. You’re going to give me everything that I want.”

The SUV’s door was opened. Donald shoved Olivia out. She hit the ground. The damn gag was still in place.

“Your power only works when you speak. So you’re helpless now.”

She heard a whimper. Olivia glanced over and saw Chloe being dragged out of the second SUV. Behind her gag, she shouted her friend’s name.

A knife pressed to Olivia’s chest. Right in the same spot that Donald had touched moments before. “I’m going to cut out your heart.”

He was insane!

“Don’t worry. You’ll stay alive. The djinn do.” He leaned toward her. Dropped his voice to a low murmur as he told her, “The hearts were kept in the bottles so long ago. That’s where the real power was. Control a djinn’s heart, control a djinn’s power. I will control you.” He smiled at her, the smile glinted in the darkness, and she realized that his teeth were too sharp. And his eyes were almost glowing.

The senator was a werewolf. Had he been born that way? And passed the DNA of a paranormal on down to his daughter? That would explain how Chloe had survived her attack as a teen. Or maybe…had the senator been bitten at some point, too?

“You’re going to give me more power than anyone else has ever possessed. The world will be mine.”