"Gregor, I'm unblocking the door to this dungeon you have me in," Reaper said. "I won't keep you from coming in."
"Of course you won't," Gregor said. He'd turned off the closed-circuit television for the moment, so he could look down through the glass at Reaper.
"I'm serious. That's what you want, isn't it? To come in here and drain me? To take my power? It's yours. Come and get it."
"You're baiting me."
"Pm not. I give up."
"Why? What do you have to gain, Reaper? I'll take her, anyway, and kill her when I've finished. You know that, would know that even if I told you otherwise. So what do you gain by giving your power to me?"
Reaper stood just beneath the window to let Gregor see him, see the emotions on his face, and feel them emanating from his mind and his soul. "If you kill me first, at least I won't have to watch you...defile her. I can't go through that, Gregor. Show a little mercy."
Gregor opened his mouth, closed it again. "It would be better, ravaging her while your blood is pounding through my veins. I'd be on a power high. Everything would be...intensified."
Reaper tried to block the image of Gregor forcing Briar to endure his attentions from his mind, but without much success.
And then Gregor said, "All right. I'm coming down. If you don't let me in instantly, Reaper, I'll go back upstairs and make sure I hurt her even more than I had already planned. Do you understand?"
"Yeah. I understand. Come on down. I'm waiting."
Reaper focused on the door and mentally made sure he was no longer blocking it from opening, not even a little. It had taken a supreme effort to keep the damn door closed before. And he hadn't even been certain he could make it work. Now he made sure his force was completely removed from it. Let Gregor come in. He would fight for his life, and for Briar's, and maybe he would lose. But he had to try.
Seth pulled the Mustang over to the side of the road a quarter mile from the former Marquand mansion, and killed the engine and headlights.
"We go in from separate directions," Jack said. "The only way to do this is slowly and patiently. We've got to find the drones and take them out one by one."
"While Reaper and Briar are in there going through God knows what?" Seth asked. "No way. It'll take too long. I say we just charge the place, take out as many as we can on the way and get inside fast."
"If we do that, we'll be trapped in that house, just like Reaper and Briar are," Topaz said softly. "We won't be any help to them if we get captured, as well, Seth."
"But they could be dead by the time we get in there!" Seth clenched his fists and looked out the window.
"They could be dead already, Seth," Jack said. "We need to take out the drones. The more the better. We can work quickly but carefully. We have to try not to miss any."
"I'm afraid he's right, Seth," Vixen said softly. "We have to find them, and then we can disable or...or kill them. And with every one we get rid of, we'll be that much closer to saving Reaper and Briar."
Seth closed his eyes. "I know it makes the most sense, I just...dammit, Reaper saved my life."
"He's saved all of our lives," Jack said. "Mine included. Believe me, I want to repay him for that as badly as you do. But we have to keep our heads about this."
"And we'll make better time if we split up," Topaz added.
"Oh, no. No way, I'm not agreeing to that." Seth clutched Vixen's hand and looked into her eyes. "We go in pairs. I'm damned if I'm going to risk losing you, too."
"On that we agree," Jack said, but he was looking at Topaz, not Seth, as he said it.
"Yeah," Topaz added. "I'm not letting Jack risk his pretty neck without me nearby to save it."
He made a face at her.
"What, you think you'll be the one saving my pretty neck?"
"Let's hope neither of our necks needs saving." Jack kissed her quickly, then opened the car door to get out. The others followed suit. Jack and Topaz, armed to the teeth, moved to the west of the mansion's grounds, while Seth and Vixen headed east. They blocked their thoughts, guarding the essence of themselves to keep the drones from sensing their presence, and began moving into the woods in silence, ready and watching for the enemy.
Briar came back down the stairs to find herself alone in the living room. Gregor was gone. Instantly, she called out to Reaper.
Where are you?
Distracting Gregor with an offer he couldn't refuse. Get the hell out, Brian before he comes back.
I'm not leaving you. Tell me where you are.
Even as she sent out the thought, she began searching the room. She wasn't sure what for. Items she could use as weapons? A clue to where Jack and Gregor might be? A way out?
She went to the locked door and peered outside. A drone was standing guard just beyond. Dammit. She left the door lock engaged to keep him from coming inside, then turned to scan the rest of the room more carefully. And then she saw it. A glasslike window in the floor, with darkness beyond it.
What is this? What is this glass panel in the floor?
Leave it alone and get the hell out. Briar.
She hurried to the panel and peered through it. At first she saw nothing, and then her eyes adjusted. A cell, far below. A darkened, concrete room that had to be even beneath the basement. As she watched, Reaper came into view, walking backward, his eyes on something in front of him.
And then Gregor Stepped into sight. "Well," he said, sounding surprised. "You kept your word and actually removed the power you'd exerted on the door to keep me from getting to you."
Briar blessed her heightened vampire senses for allowing her to hear the men's conversation, even if only faintly.
"I told you I would," Reaper replied.
I can see you! And I'm not leaving, so tell me something, dammit Anything that can help you!
Gregor lunged at Reaper, delivering a crushing blow to his jaw that sent him flying backward. But even though Reaper hit the wall, he refused to go down. He pushed off and went after Gregor, landing a punch to the side of his head, then another to his solar plexus. Gregor bent over double, clutching his middle.
"I knew you wouldn't keep your word. Fortunately, I came prepared." When Gregor straightened again, he had a weapon of some sort in his hands.
He jabbed it at Reaper, and Briar could sense the powerful shock it delivered. It made Reaper's body go rigid in pain.
He collapsed to the floor, quivering.
Get out, Briar, he thought at her. Please...
No. I'm going to find a way down there.
Gregor bent over him, gripped the front of his shirt.
There's a remote control. I think he keeps it on the mantle.
Briar scrambled for the device, located it and began pushing buttons. She was shocked when one of them caused the glass panel in the floor to slide slowly open.
Bending over Reaper, Gregor looked up, startled by the sound of the panel opening, but almost before he could have hoped to process what was happening, Briar tucked the remote down the front of the skimpy outfit she wore, and jumped into the chute, stilettos and all.
She hit Gregor hard, a full body impact that took him to the floor. "I'm done with you, you bastard," she growled, and then she kicked him in the chin. His head snapped back. He got his arms beneath him, scuttling backward like a crab, then lifting the stun gun he still held in one hand.
She kicked again and sent it flying. Then once more, the impact connecting with his jaw this time. And then she lowered her high-heeled shoe to his throat while he flailed beneath her.
"You deserve this. In fact, you deserve a hell of a lot more, but I want you to know I'm going to enjoy this, Gregor. I've been waiting a long time to kill you, you bastard." She lifted her foot, determined to slam it down again.
But he grabbed her ankle, flipping her off her feet. She landed on her back with an impact that stunned her. Gregor jumped up, even as Reaper got to his feet. The two men stood nose-to-nose. Then, quickly, Gregor looked upward, knowing he was outnumbered. Just as quickly, Briar read his intent in his eyes, yanked the remote from her breast, aimed upward and thumbed the button.
Even as Gregor leaped with every ounce of power he possessed, the clear partition slid closed. He smashed into it and tumbled back down, landing hard.
Reaper went for him, but Briar gripped his shoulder, jerked him aside, raced forward and then lowered one pointy heel as hard as she could. It jabbed straight through Gregor's throat.
"Like I said," she told him, staring down at his gaping mouth and bugging eyes with a sense of power like nothing she'd ever felt before racing through her, "I'm done with you." She gave a twist before jerking the heel free.
He lay there, writhing and bleeding. He clutched at his neck in an effort to stop the flow, but it was no use. As the blood spread out across the concrete floor around her, Briar stepped lightly back, out of its way.
And then, as the light faded from Gregor's eyes for the last time ever, Briar turned to Reaper. He stared at her, and she at him.
And when he opened his mouth to speak, she put her finger over his lips and shook her head.
"You're about to rub it in, aren't you? You're going to say you knew all along I was capable of caring about someone besides myself. You're going to say I've proven it by risking my ass to save Crisa and then the kid, and now you. You're going to say you were right all along. And then you're going to tell me that you have to leave. To go find Miss Sunnybrook Farm, who turned out not to be so sunny after all. That you have to finish that before you can-"
He clasped her hand and moved it away from his mouth. "You don't know shit about what I'm going to tell you, Briar."
Then he jerked her close, and he kissed her. And she swore her heart melted right inside her chest then, because that was what it felt like. He fed from her mouth as if he were starving for her taste, and he held her so close to him that every curve and line of her body melded to his.
When he finally lifted his head, he said, "I'm going to say that I'm really glad you turned out to have a heart in there after all, because it would be hell if I were in love with a woman who didn't."
She blinked, almost dizzy, completely confused. "In love?"
"I love you. You crazy, vengeful, relentless, stubborn, badass bitch, I love you to hell and back."
Her lips widened into a smile. A huge smile, and then a laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep inside her. When she could finally speak again, she said, "You moping loner of a killing machine, I love you, too. At least, I guess that's what this feeling is that's damn near splitting my chest open trying to get out."
"Yeah, I think that's what it is."
"So shall we get out of here, then?"
"Good idea. Nice outfit, by the way."
"Thanks. It was a gift. I' m thinking of keeping it, actually." She stretched a leg, pointed her toe and looked at her foot thoughtfully. "I'm growing particularly fond of the shoes."
"Me, too."
She pointed the remote at the glass above them, ready to thumb the button to open it so they could leap to freedom.
"Briar," Reaper said. "Hon, the cell door is unlocked."
She met his eyes, relished the teasing light in them. "Oh." She linked arms with him, and they walked out the door, then climbed the ladder that led up into the basement.
As they emerged, Reaper looked around, and saw the lab and the empty gurney. "How is Crisa doing?" he asked, his tone no longer playful.
"I don't know. I got her the hell out of here, along with Eric and the kid. Dwyer, too, once I got the information I needed from him."
"About my-former wife?"
"Yeah. And about your trigger words. The second one. We know it now. We also know the name of the asshole who programmed you for the CIA, and once we track him down, he can damn well undo what he did to your head or suffer the consequences."
"Hell. You really are useful to have around, you know that?"
They located the stairs and headed up them, emerging into the main part of the house just as the front door crashed open and four of their heroic sidekicks burst in, looking as if they were expecting to face down a pack of rabid grizzlies.
They looked around the room, weapons drawn, spotted Reaper and Briar, and then relaxed visibly, though they kept their tranq guns aimed.
"Where's Gregor?" Jack demanded.
"Dead," Reaper said. "He had a painful run-in with a stiletto heel."
Jack looked at the shoes Briar was wearing, then let his gaze slide slowly upward until he met her eyes, brows raised.
"How is Crisa?" she asked.
"Uh...they were operating on her head when we left. Eric just contacted us mentally to say they got the chip out, but she hasn't regained consciousness. We still don't know anything for sure."
"Probably won't until sundown," Vixen said. "Maybe the day sleep will speed up the healing."
"We hope." Seth pocketed his gun.
"Won't you need that for the drones?" Reaper asked.
"What drones?" Seth sent him a wink. "Come on, daylight's not far off. Eric's found us a place to hole up for the day."
"Thank God for that," Briar said. "I'm beat."
"After you," Jack said, holding the door open. And as she and Reaper passed, he added, "Love the outfit, hon."
She shrugged. "It has its uses."
Reaper sent a scowl over his shoulder, and Jack quickly held up both hands. "Don't kill me, okay? I was just teasing her." Then he looked at Topaz. "You know that, right?"
She twisted his earlobe, even while she kissed his cheek. "Of course I do. Just don't let it happen again."
Reaper and Briar stepped outside, and the others followed, then took the lead. Briar watched them go. Seth, with his arm around Vixen's shoulders, holding her close to his side as they walked in lockstep. Jack and Topaz, arms linked around one another's waists, every part of them touching as they moved.
And then, like an answer to a prayer she'd never been aware of uttering, Reaper wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Smiling, she decided she liked it, and she slid her own arm around his waist and walked very close to his side.
"It's good, having somebody all your own, isn't it?" he asked.
"I could get used to it," she told him. In fact, she could hardly wait to get started on that little project. She lifted her head. "You did this, you know."
"Did what?"
She just smiled mysteriously, leaned against him and kept on walking.