Crimson Dichotomy (Dichotomy Saga) (20 page)

“She’s no longer there. Rick must be right.” He turned around and folded his arms over his chest. “Damn it, Michael. I’ve lost another female.”

“I’m sorry, sir. The death of any female is a loss, regardless of their character.”

Darius chuckled at the offhanded criticism. “I must find out exactly what happened to her. No one robs my bloodline of a female without repercussions.”

“I understand,” Michael muttered, though his expression lacked conviction.

“Should I allow her murderer to go unpunished because she was flawed?”

“Of course not. Vendettas are a time-honored tradition. Who am I to disagree with such a practice?”

Darius shook his head. “I allow you far too much freedom for a transformed servant. I should have taught you manners ages ago.”

“You appreciate my honesty far more than you crave my deference—sir.”

“I suppose I do.” He turned back to the window, feeling the centuries with oppressive clarity. “The world is changing, yet we ramble on, bound by the same archaic traditions.”

“You could break with tradition and redefine your role in this changing world.”

“Shall I buy a hybrid and load up my MP3 player with rap tunes?”

Michael laughed. “Wouldn’t that be a sight? I was thinking of something more fundamental.”

“Such as?” Michael didn’t reply, so Darius turned around.

He was alone with his troubled thoughts.

After a long, leisurely shower, Max led Colette back into his bedroom. She had responded so sweetly and submitted so naturally, he had no doubt she could pull off the part he needed her to play and more. The real question was did he want to risk their fledgling romance by dragging her into the cesspool he knew they would face? There were definite risks, but the mission wasn’t extremely dangerous. Still…

“What are you thinking about?” She’d slipped on his T-shirt and she was combing out her damp hair.

“If I decide not to take you with me tomorrow, what will you do?”

“Why wouldn’t you assign me to the mission?” Her eyes flashed with disapproval. “Do you still doubt I can handle it?”

“No. I have every confidence in your ability. I’m just not sure I need to risk your safety when I can simply pose as a lecherous vampire.”

“Would you send any of your men in alone?” Challenge radiated off of her in waves.

She had a valid point and they both knew it. “I’ll take backup. It just won’t be you.”

“I knew this would happen.” She tossed the comb on the bed and planted her fists on her hips. “You don’t need to protect me. I’m a trained operative just like any of your men.” Defiance flashed through her eyes and she morphed into Lukas Mandalay. “Are you less afraid for me now?”

The shift left Lukas naked below the T-shirt and Max laughed. “You are specific with your shifts, aren’t you?”

She released the image and settled back into her own form. “Give me a chance to prove myself in the field. That’s all I’m asking.”

He had no valid reason to refuse. If she’d been a man—perhaps even another woman—he wouldn’t hesitate. “I hope to hell we don’t both regret it, but I’ll give you a chance.”

With an excited cry, she threw herself into his arms. “Thank you!”

He wrapped one arm around her waist and cupped her bare ass with his other hand. “Now it’s time for full disclosure. Who do you work for and how extensive is your training?”

“I’m FBI,” she admitted. “My handler’s name is—”

“Jason Renshaw?”

Her brow creased and she slid down his body, landing lightly on her toes. “How did you know?”

“I’ve worked with Jason several times before. He deals almost exclusively with paranormal cases and paranormal personnel. It just made sense.”

“Well, then you know he wouldn’t turn me loose in the field without the proper training.”

“Jason’s a good man. I’d still like to talk to him before we head out tomorrow.”

“You know more of my secrets than he does. I can guarantee it.” She picked up the comb and dragged it through her hair.

“How long have you worked for him? How did he find out about your abilities?”

She shrugged and continued with her grooming. “Jason has a team of ‘talent scouts’ that keep an eye out for people like me. One of them befriended me in college and before I knew it I’d applied as a covert operative.”

“Was his mission to befriend you or was it a chance encounter?”

She laughed. “I thought you knew Jason. There are no chance encounters in Jason Renshaw’s world. I’ve worked for him off and on for the past six years.” She set the comb on the built-in dresser and sauntered toward him. “Your turn. Tell me three things I don’t already know about you.”

“There isn’t much to tell. You’ve seen my operation. The PSN is my life.”

She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed to the balls of her feet, lightly nipping his chin. “Try harder. Tell me something personal.”

“I’ve never been married, have no children, and spend all of my time here. I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

“You said you were created in a laboratory. Who created you?”

He heaved a sigh and set her away from him, slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants. “A team of scientists. I never learned who was funding the program, but there had never been a team like theirs before: one human, one elf, and one vampire. They were determined to create the perfect being by combining the DNA of all three species.”

“You’re the result of combining human, elf, and vampire DNA?”

She sounded intrigued not appalled, so he continued. “They weren’t able to create a viable result when they started from scratch, so they turned to genetic resequencing. My father was an organic vampire; my mother was his half-human consort. This is how Taerok’s obsession began. He was my father’s legitimate son with his organic wife. I was a bastard with tainted blood, yet Taerok watched me transform into a being neither vampire nor human, nor elf, but some twisted combination of the three.”

“So he started trying other genetic combinations, hoping to achieve a similar result?”

“Basically. He learned about the Dichotomy, a race of beings both day-dwelling and nocturnal. He was convinced their DNA would allow him to control his solar trance.”

“As you control yours?”

“Yes. And it’s a tempting concept for any vampire. His research needs to be archived and the samples he collected destroyed. We can’t have someone else taking up where he left off.”

She was silent for a moment as she absorbed all he’d told her. “What happened to the team that created you?”

“I was their first success, but they didn’t stop with me. They realized children of blended couples were the easiest to genetically reengineer. My mother was half human, so my DNA already contained contributions from two separate species. They grew more ambitious and bolder. They were no longer focused on better health and higher intelligence. They wanted beings with godlike powers and longevity. My abilities are moderate compared to what they were able to accomplish in subsequent generations.”

“Generations?” She moved closer again, her brow knitted with disbelief. “How long did this program go on?”

“Forty-seven years.” He paused to make sure she’d heard the statistic. “Ethan Ziegler and I realized they would never stop unless someone stopped them. We organized the others and broke free. Ethan stayed behind to destroy the facility. I convinced the others to scatter. At least I thought I’d convinced them. We made sure it looked as if we’d been killed by the explosion so no one would come looking for us.”

“What happened to the others if they refused to scatter?”

He glanced away from her face, lost in memory. “Most had never lived outside the program. They were ‘recruited’ as infants, so they had nowhere else to go. When I realized they were holed up in an abandoned warehouse, scavenging for food like rats, I rounded them up and—”

“Formed the PSN?”

Distancing himself from the pain, he nodded and returned his gaze to her face. “Yes. The original Sentinels were all created by the same team that created me.”

“What happened to Ethan?”

Damn. She didn’t miss a thing. “He was hurt badly during the explosion and never fully recovered. But his son is a Sentinel. He’d be really proud of the man Steffen has become.”

She touched his arm, her hand warm and gentle. “How long have you been responsible for all these people?”

“Roughly fifty years.”

“Wait a minute.” Confusion pushed through the compassion in her thick-lashed eyes. “You said the program went on for almost fifty years and you mutinied fifty years ago? Are you saying they were resequencing DNA a hundred years ago?”

“It was elvin technology. They’ve been messing with genetics longer than humans have been alive.”

She shook her head and a soft smile curved her supple lips. “If I hadn’t seen this place for myself, I probably wouldn’t believe you.”

“There is far more to this world than most humans believe. If they knew how many other species shared their precious planet, they’d run screaming for the hills.”

“You don’t think very highly of humans.” She flashed a playful smile. “I’m sure glad I’m not one.”

He returned her smile. “I’m part human too. They just act as if they’re the only race that matters. It’s frustrating sometimes.”

“Most of them don’t know any better,” she said. “They think vampires are bloodthirsty demons and Faeries float around near fields of flowers.”

“I can’t imagine where they got those ideas.” She laughed, a warm musical sound. He wanted to continue her introduction into the pleasures of submission, but they really needed to get some sleep. “I think you better return to your room. If you stay here, we’ll both be exhausted in the morning.”

Her hand slid from his arm to his chest and she stepped closer. “Do I have to?”

Desire flooded his system, jarring his senses with awareness and anticipation. “You’re causing trouble.”

“Then shouldn’t you punish me?”

The question sealed her fate. Sleep deprived or not, she was never leaving his side. “Would you like me to punish you?”

“Maybe.”

He pinched her bare bottom then yanked her against his chest. “The proper answer is ‘yes, sir’. Would you like me to bend you over my knees and spank your bottom before I fuck you again?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve been very naughty.”

Colette couldn’t believe her boldness. The thought of being without him was unacceptable, but did she want to be spanked? She’d never considered something like this, much less suggested it. Less than a night in his bed and she was a wanton. What was happening to her?

His hand moved from one of her ass cheeks to the other, squeezing and caressing her by turns. He suddenly swung her up against his chest and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Have you ever been spanked before?”

“No, sir. I’m usually very well behaved.”

He chuckled and sat on the side of the bed, still cradling her in his arms. “Do I bring out the naughtiness in you?”

“Most definitely.” She raised her hand toward his face then hesitated. “May I touch you, sir? Please.” She saw flashes of tenderness in his eyes and hungered for the day when he wouldn’t hide the emotion.

“Yes.”

She took advantage of his generosity, running her hands over his face and through his short, dark hair. She followed the strong column of his neck to his incredibly wide shoulders then down his arms. These strong capable arms supported so many, protected so many, and tonight they belonged to her. His biceps felt like stone and his chest was only slightly softer. She raked his chest hair with her fingers, fascinated by the wiry texture.

He didn’t object to her exploration, so she grew bolder, shifting so she straddled his lap. She needed to know him as intimately as he knew her. His intense gaze stared back at her, an occasional flash accenting the sapphire shards. Would their connection deepen each time they made love? Made love? She doubted he thought of this in those terms. This was training, preparation for a mission. She better slow things down in her own mind or she was going to get hurt. She ran her index finger down the slope of his nose then traced the arch of his eyebrows with her thumbs.

“May I kiss you, sir? I want your taste in my mouth while you spank me.”

Lust burst in his eyes and he literally growled. An animalistic sound had never been so sexy. His fingers tangled in the back of her hair and his mouth took possession of her lips. Warm and moist, his tongue pushed into her mouth. She greeted him with enthusiasm, rubbing her breasts against his chest. She loved the way he kissed, the way his tongue fucked her mouth. She followed into his mouth and fucked him in return.

“Take off the shirt,” he whispered against her damp lips. “I want you naked, now!”