Dark Promises 2: Demonic Obsession Read online

  When he’d first arrived, he’d been sure Royce Cardoso was the man he’d been tracking. Now he had his doubts. The man was unstable, possibly dangerous, but it just didn’t fit. He didn’t like Cardoso, didn’t trust him, but that didn’t mean he had the right to brand him a killer, either.

  If Royce wasn’t the killer, then he was in just as much danger as Eric. He’d been there too, that night so many years ago. There’d been five of them, and three were dead. The two remaining were both in the same town. Everything about the situation warned of a setup. Had this all been an elaborate ruse to get them in the same place at the same time? Of course. It had to be. He should have seen it sooner, but he’d been too bent on staying alive long enough to dispose of his friends’ killer. Now that he realized the mistake he’d made in coming here, it was too late to turn back. If he walked away, more innocents would die. Ellie might be one of them.

  Once he’d completed the job, he could focus on bashing in Royce Cardoso’s skull. He’d never forgive the man for putting his hands on Ellie. He stopped by the stone steps that led down to one of the town’s public beaches, breathing in the sea-scented air. He’d stood in the same spot a week ago, watching Ellie and Royce walk together along the water on a moonlit night. He’d had known her for all of two days, as she’d so eagerly pointed out, yet he couldn’t help the pang of jealousy he felt every time he thought about her with another man. He would have been fine to walk away from any other woman, but he’d been around long enough to recognize what she was to him, especially after that out-of-control kiss.

  Ellie was his mate.

  That certainly complicated things. The strong urge to guard his territory filled him, working him into an aggressive state. He would do anything it took to make sure no other man ever touched her again. His mind spun with that single fact, the words jabbing at him like jagged glass. His mate. His to protect. It couldn’t be possible, nothing about it was logical, yet he knew without a doubt that it was true. How could this have happened? His life, as he’d known it for the past millennium, had just changed forever with this simple twist of fate.

  In her heart, she recognized him, too. The panther she wore around her neck cemented that fact for him, but it would take some convincing to get her conscious mind to accept it. He didn’t know if he was up for another challenge.

  Heaving a sigh, he walked on, prodding his mind to focus on the task at hand. He forced himself to concentrate on his search for the rogue vampire. He was old, able to cloak himself thoroughly to avoid detection. If he’d been a fledgling, Eric would already have taken care of him as he had so many others. Seeking out the vamp and destroying him, would prove to be a lot harder than he’d originally hoped.

  Too bad the only puzzle his mind found worth solving was how to get Ellie into bed and into his life. How would he convince her that she was what had been missing for so long? That would take time—being human, she’d be prone to look at matters of commitment with her heart first, and then her mind. His kind did neither, at least not when it came to finding one’s true mate. That was done solely with the body, and the chemistry between the two people involved. His body fairly screamed that Ellie was the one.

  How could it be possible for him to have a human mate?

  The questions he had frustrated him. The unlikelihood of the situation didn’t matter. He didn’t choose his mate—fate did that for him. When she’d said he wasn’t what she’d been looking for, he understood. He hadn’t been looking for her, either, but he’d found her. And he’d be damned if he was going to lose her to a vampire.

  Now he had two reasons for staying in town until everything was resolved. He just hoped he could accomplish both with minimal bloodshed. He had a feeling a human like Ellie would frown on the kind of mayhem his job involved. He laughed to himself at the thought. She’d better get used to it.

  It would be bad enough when she found out what he did for a living. Despite her apparent ease at accepting the paranormal, she might not accept him. His kind made vampires look like innocent little schoolchildren. It was important that he make her understand, though, if he was going to spend the rest of his life…

  With a human.

  A mental image of her necklace again flashed through his mind. It had rattled him at first, when he’d seen it, but it had also made him wonder. It was just one of the many things he refused to call coincidence. He’d been brought here for a reason—that much he accepted as true. He turned away from the beach and made his way through the downtown streets. Her race didn’t matter, not in the end.

  If she’d been Panthicenos, she’d have been his since day one. Neither of them would have needed to declare anything. The bond between mates didn’t need a license of any kind, or a ring-swapping ceremony. It was formed on the emotional plane just below the physical one, and strong enough to survive eternity. She would have known instinctively, as he had, that their meeting had been more than random. He just hoped he could convince her of her place in his life soon. As it was, he’d have to work hard to get her to accept him willingly. He didn’t relish the thought of keeping her against her will, but he’d do anything it took. Knowing what he knew, he didn’t have a choice.

  Chapter 5

  Could Eric really have killed that woman? Instinct told Ellie it wasn’t possible. Something inside her told her to trust him—ridiculous considering she’d just met him days ago, and she knew almost nothing about him. Common sense, something she seemed to be lacking these days, told her to be careful, to wait and watch, and see if this time instinct failed her.

  For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt real fear. Murder didn’t happen often in Stone Harbor. Crime of any kind was a rarity. The murder didn’t seem premeditated, but it certainly hadn’t been an accident. The bizarre method of killing most likely baffled the police, and put Amara, Marco, and Royce in danger. If they were discovered—if anyone around here besides her immediate family actually believed in vampires—terrible things could happen to them.

  Or not. It wasn’t the sixteen hundreds anymore, and the world had gotten pretty strange.

  She took a quick shower and dressed before stepping outside to get the morning paper. When she opened the front door, she found a bouquet of flowers, tied with a white ribbon, resting on the porch. She picked them up and opened the attached card. The message, short and simple, read “Thinking of you”, with Eric’s name written in bold handwriting.

  Ellie blinked in surprise. No man had ever given her flowers the morning after when she’d left him without satisfaction during the date. She allowed herself a small smile as she brought the bouquet into the kitchen, cut the stems, and put the flowers in water. Shaking off the feeling that something was wrong, she pushed all thoughts of her disturbing dream out of her mind. For now, at least, she’d allow herself a little time to enjoy her gift.

  She’d just poured herself a second cup of coffee when Amara burst through the back door.

  “You’re a hard person to get a hold of lately,” Amara complained as she sat at the table. “First you were out running this morning, and now this. I had to come out in the morning sunshine to find you, and believe me, that’s not something I enjoy doing.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Amara sighed and shook her head. “There’s a murderer out there, Ell, and I think you need to be a lot more careful. When I couldn’t get in touch with you a little bit ago, I got nervous.”

  “I was in the shower.” Ellie couldn’t keep the irritation from her voice. Amara had genuine psychic abilities, but sometimes she got a little carried away. “I just spoke to you a few hours ago. Did something else happen?”

  “No, nothing else happened, at least I don’t think so, but you worried me. You need to lock your doors. It’s not safe in town anymore.” Amara drummed her nails on the tabletop, fidgeting like she always did when she got upset. “Where did you get these?” she asked, touching one of the flowers in the vase Ellie had set on the table. She wrinkle
d her nose and sniffed the air. “Did you get a cat?”

  The dream forced its way into Ellie’s mind, no matter how hard she tried to keep it out. Amara’s questions only added to her anxiety. “I found them on the front porch this morning, and no, I didn’t get a cat. Why do you ask?”

  “I could have sworn I smelled a cat in here. It’s faint, but it’s definitely there. Never mind.” Amara rubbed a petal in between her thumb and finger, a frown marring her features. “Do you have any clue as to who would send you flowers?”

  Ellie shrugged one shoulder and ignored the question. She wasn’t even close to ready to tell Amara the truth yet. “Why? What’s the matter?”

  “They just feel…weird.” Amara’s face took on a thoughtful expression. “I know they’re just flowers, but they feel…malicious somehow.”

  Malicious flowers? “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I wish.” Amara plucked a petal off a large, blood-red rose and let it flutter to the table. She pushed it around the tabletop with the tip of her long fingernail before stabbing it through its center. “Someone’s watching you.”

  “I don’t think so.” Ellie took a big gulp of her coffee, the hot liquid burning her throat on the way down. “Why would anyone bother with me? I mind my own business.”

  “Beats me. But it’s what I see. You’ve always trusted me before.”

  In the year since Amara’s husband, Marco, had accidentally turned her into a vampire, Amara had been working on her dormant psychic powers. They were getting strong, but what she saw was still random. She had no control over what she did and didn’t see.

  “Are you almost ready?” Marco walked into the house through the back door without bothering to knock first. Yes, it was definitely time to start locking those doors.

  Ellie frowned. “You’re lucky I like you. Otherwise I might have to hurt you for just barging in without even letting me know you’re there.”

  “Yeah, I love you too, Ellie.” Marco shook his head and turned to his wife. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Ellie has a stalker.” Amara blurted, her eyes impossibly wide.

  “A what?” Ellie and Marco asked at the same time.

  Amara pointed to the flowers. “She has a stalker. Someone’s been watching her.”

  “Yeah, right.” Ellie scoffed at the idea. Women like Amara, the former horror film queen, had stalkers. Women like Ellie, the quiet painter no one ever noticed, did not.

  “I’m serious. I told you these things feel malicious.” Amara wrinkled her nose again at the flowers. “I’ve been through a couple of these situations before. I know what you’re dealing with, and it’s nothing to take lightly.”

  The woman really didn’t have any idea. As much as she trusted her friend’s abilities, this time Amara was wrong. Eric was definitely not a stalker. But was he malicious? Not to her. “Amara, I’m fine. Stop overreacting.”

  Apparently, Marco didn’t agree. “A stalker, huh? Are you going to be okay alone?”

  “Are you both out of your minds?” she asked, shaking her head.

  “Do you want to move in with us until this whole thing blows over?” he continued.

  She’d rather eat dirt than move in with them—and Royce—and let them protect her from some imaginary threat. “There is no thing to blow over! I got flowers, not bloody body parts. You two are making a huge deal out of nothing.”

  They both stared at her for a full minute before Marco spoke. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He articulated each word slowly and carefully, like he was speaking to a three- year-old or a small animal. She clenched her hands into fists to keep from hitting something.

  A couple of deep breaths later, she had a decent handle on her burgeoning temper. “I. Am. Fine. What part of that are you having trouble understanding?” She sighed, her anger not as controlled as she’d hoped. “Is your English failing in your old age, Marco? Perhaps I should find you a translator?”

  Amara spoke up before Marco had a chance to answer. “Calm down, Ellie. We’re just concerned. What’s going on with you? Why are you getting so defensive if everything is okay?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just not used to having someone question me so much.” She managed a tight smile, despite the fact that she felt like her head might burst from the stress. “Now you’d better be going, because I have a lot to do today.”

  Marco knew her well enough to know it was time to quit, although the grim set of his jaw indicted he wasn’t happy about it. “Yeah, okay. You know you can always call me if you need anything. I’m sure I still owe you a couple of favors.”

  She hadn’t been keeping score, not really. She didn’t mind doing favors for friends, unless they went off the deep end like Marco had briefly the year before.

  At least his foray into insane criminal kidnapping had gone well, relatively speaking. He’d gotten himself a wife—and she hadn’t even pressed charges. Now that he had Amara to take care of him, Ellie could worry less about him and more about her family. Her grandmother was getting old, whether she wanted to admit it or not, and Becca’s predicament was never far from her mind. Charlotte…well, Charlotte was going through a phase of another kind, and it didn’t worry Ellie any less. With the three of them all relying on her for something, she had her hands full.

  She did not have time for stalkers or malicious flowers—or meddling vampires, for that matter.

  “We’ll talk later.” Amara’s unblinking gaze held Ellie’s for a little too long as she spoke, making Ellie burst out laughing. Mind control had become something of a hobby of Amara’s, a fact she had yet to share with her husband.

  “Knock it off, Amara. There’s nothing to tell.”

  Amara narrowed her eyes, her lips pursing in a comical pout. “Fine. Be that way.” She turned just before she walked out the door. “I’ll call you soon. We’ll talk then.”

  Ellie shook her head as Marco shut the door behind them. She loved Marco and Amara dearly, but she was happy to see them leave. Sometimes Amara gave her the creeps.

  * * * * *

  The second the car was on the road, Amara turned to Marco. “What the hell is going on around here?”

  “Are you talking about the situation you think is happening with Ellie, or something else?”

  “Gee, I wonder. What do you think?”

  “You’re touchy this morning.” He drummed his fingers on the wheel, which he knew damned well annoyed her beyond reason. She had the sudden urge to reach across the console and break his fingers, but she resisted. Barely. “Are you absolutely sure about this stalker issue? Trust me, you don’t want to piss Ellie off with something like this unless you’re serious. She might put a curse on you or something.”

  The slight hint of an accent in her husband’s voice—a remnant from his childhood in Portugal—turned her insides to mush every time he spoke. She blew out a frustrated breath, determined not to let him distract her.

  “Do you think I’m an idiot? Of course I’m serious. And you know damned well she wouldn’t put a curse on anyone.” Amara rolled her eyes and poked his arm with her fingernail. Why was it that he had such a hard time taking her seriously? “Look, Marco, someone is after her, and she needs protection. I don’t care if you believe me or not. But if you don’t do something about it, you’ll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of your life. Take into consideration how long your life span is, and choose wisely.”

  He stopped at a stop sign and glanced her way. The concern in his eyes took her by surprise. “I’m already planning something. When we get home I’ll talk to Royce. He can—”

  “Drive her to the brink of insanity in just a couple of hours? I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I think they might need a little time apart.”

  “I don’t know what else you want me to do. You can’t be thinking about calling the police.”

  “Yeah, that would go over really well.” Amara snorted. “I’m sure they’d be perfectly willing to listen to a psychic vampire. I was thinking s
omething more along the lines of making her stay with us until this guy is caught. That’s a little less conspicuous.”

  “Don’t you think you’re jumping the gun a little?” Marco asked, his tone heavy with aggravation. “She got flowers, babe. Flowers. There’s absolutely nothing threatening about that.”

  “So now you’re not even going to listen? I know what I feel. You’re the one who’s been telling me to trust my hunches. You’ve been pushing me to use these powers almost since day one. Why do you feel the need to doubt me now?” She crossed her arms over her chest and faced the window. “I hope you enjoy sleeping on the couch every day, and your legs don’t get too cramped. It’s not a very big couch, you know.”

  “No, it’s not. And that’s why Royce and I are going to have a talk when we get back. Ellie would be a lot less suspicious of him than she would of one of us, and I think he needs another push in her direction, anyway.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her with a quick shake of his head. “Unless you know some other big, strong guy with too much free time on his hands, I suggest you keep your mouth shut. Right now, I want to get home and get out of the bright sun. If it’s bothering me this much, I can just imagine how someone as newly turned as you must feel. If you stay outside too much longer, it will zap all your energy and make you sick. How about we shelve this discussion for later this evening and go home to bed?”

  He had a point there. Something about the way he said “bed” made her want to tell him to speed up so they could get home faster. She wisely closed her mouth for a while, hoping Royce could handle this bit of a problem. She had some serious doubts that Royce could help, though, especially since there was a woman involved.

  * * * * *

  “It’s about time you got back.”

  “Is there a problem?” Royce walked up the front steps and joined his brother on the porch.