She could see two policemen with their guns drawn and ready. Red and blue lights flashed behind them.

  One of the cops rushed in, slamming Etienne’s chest against the wall and drawing his hands behind his back.

  “Is there a problem?” Etienne asked, seemingly unalarmed by the situation.

  Another policeman rushed into the room. “Ma’am, are you okay?”

  Annie just lay there like a bump on a log.

  “As you can see, nothing is amiss. If management had informed us the television was too loud, we would have turned it down,” Etienne said, looking over his shoulder at her.

  The policemen’s intense gazes darted around the room. Amazingly, not one appeared to see Clyde lying on the floor, the blood, or the ropes hanging from the bedpost. The fact that she was battered and bruised escaped them as well. One policeman walked right past Clyde to inspect the bathroom.

  The moment was surreal, unbelievable. The policeman who held Etienne released him. The one who had asked if she was okay nodded as if she had responded. The officer who reappeared from the bathroom glanced toward the television.

  “Keep it quiet,” he warned. One by one the policemen filtered out of the room, leaving her alone with a dead man and Etienne.

  It troubled Etienne to see fear in Annie’s stare as it whipped from him to the sonofabitch lying at his feet, and to the door the police just left through. He knew the enchantment he conjured for their sake had confused her.

  Hell. What was he saying? Everything about this night probably had her wondering if she was caught in a nightmare.

  He took a step toward her and she flinched.

  “Annie.” He kept his distance. “I—”

  Just say it, he chastised.

  “Please…” His voice faded. “Please don’t look at me that way.”

  She didn’t move—didn’t speak—just continued to glare at him in that condemning fashion.

  He threaded his fingers through his hair. “I’m over five hundred years old. A vampire—a creature of the night. I didn’t want to come to you this night appearing as I did, but I heard your cries. Knew you were in trouble. The sun is poisonous to my system, the blisters from rising too soon. My fury amplified by what I feared this bastard would do to you. Even if I had not lost control, I would have still killed this man for what he has put you through.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. He couldn’t sense their meaning and there was no way he would attempt to tap her mind.

  “Speak to me.” It was a plea from his heart.

  The silence in the room lingered. With each second that passed, he felt her slipping away from him. When she crawled off the bed, staggering, he lurched forward, reaching for her, but she held up her hands, warning him back.

  With tight lips and a grim expression, she finally spoke. “I can’t deal with this right now.” Her voice was low and scratchy. Cautiously, she skirted around him, inching her way to the exit. When she opened the door and dashed through it, he didn’t stop her.

  His chin dropped to his chest.

  She was gone.

  Semi-coherent, Annie stumbled into the street. Her mind screamed run. Her wounded body dared her to try. Deep in her subconscious, Velia sent calming vibes to ease the chaotic thoughts racing through Annie’s head.

  Monsters like her stepfather existed, but not vampires.

  The idea that such people existed, much less that Etienne was one of them, was beyond anything she could comprehend.

  She staggered, almost falling. If anyone saw her they would think she was drunk. The fact was she felt intoxicated, which only added to the way things appeared. Fuzzy. Unreal. She had to be hallucinating. The bloodshot eyes she stared through couldn’t have witnessed the events of tonight.

  Her mother had died at Clyde’s hands for no other reason than he wanted Annie and her gifts—gifts apparently her mother had possessed. Yet hers weren’t enough for Clyde.

  Greedy sonofabitch.

  At least the bastard was dead, killed by the man of Annie’s heart who claimed to be a legendary creature.

  A vampire.

  The thought of Etienne conjured the vision of him standing over Clyde, his red-flamed eyes, blood dripping from his fangs. A strangled cry of disbelief slipped from her trembling lips.

  All around her the smell of rain rose, but not strong enough to erase the metallic scent of blood or the foul decay of the deteriorating neighborhood that loomed, closing in on her. A silent scream lodged in her throat as a large gray rat darted in front of her, before the rodent disappeared beneath a pile of garbage outside an auto shop.

  A shiver raked her spine. The cool breeze shaking the fronds of the palms trees added to the eeriness of the night. In the sky, angry clouds robbed her of moonlight. Only a couple of streetlights that hadn’t already burned out shone. Their starburst effect only added to the dreamlike state she found herself in. Rundown businesses lined the street. The only lit sign was that of the motel behind her.

  She refused to look back. But she did even as her feet demanded she keep moving farther away from the carnage hidden behind that door.

  No idea where she was or where she was heading, Annie wondered if it really mattered. Her mother’s memory crashed down upon her, almost bringing her to her knees. When she approached the intersection she didn’t pause, blindly moving forward.

  Left, Etienne whispered. His smooth, rich voice caressed her mind.

  Her heart stopped. She spun around expecting to see him behind her. But he wasn’t there. No one was there.

  “Bébé, you’re going the wrong direction. Turn left.”

  Oh God. She was losing it. Not only had he stolen her heart, now he was invading her head.

  “Please, Annie.” She heard the plea in his tone.

  Follow his directions, little one. He will not lead you astray, Velia assured in a calming voice.

  But Annie didn’t know who to trust, not even her medium. Where was Velia when she needed her? Why hadn’t Velia warned her about Clyde—Etienne?

  He was a vampire.

  There are some things that you must learn on your own. Annie wanted to laugh at Velia’s response. What the hell could be so important to learn by being abducted, beaten and then saved by a vampire?

  Annie didn’t know what to do.

  “I have never harmed you, bébé. Please turn around.” Etienne sounded so sorrowful, but how could she trust him. He had deceived her.

  Not true, Velia whispered. He has saved you.

  Oh God. Velia was right.

  Even still Annie was not ready to confront reality. All she wanted was to get back to her motel room and lock the door behind her. Reversing her steps, she walked back to the intersection and turned the direction Etienne suggested.

  Each time she encountered a crossing, Etienne broke into her consciousness and spoke softly, guiding her safely back to her motel.

  Thankfully, her room key was still in her pocket. She fished it out and inhaled her first breath of relief when she closed the door. But it was short lived when she looked at the tangled sheets, the bed where she and Etienne had made love. The pressure in her chest was overwhelming. She dropped to her knees, palms covering her face and wept.

  For her mother’s senseless death, and the life they would never have together.

  For Etienne, and the future that would never be.

  Annie slid upon her side, pulling her knees to her chest, lying on the floor. Like a lullaby, she felt the chorus of Velia and Etienne offering her sleep.

  Without a fight she embraced it.

  Let it take her far, far away.

  Chapter Eight

  The lights of Apache Junction beamed in the distance like a beacon calling Annie home. As if programmed on autopilot, she braked for the blaring red lights up ahead. Her body and mind ached, not to mention her hands still clenching the steering wheel. For six hours she’d driven without a stop.

  Thank God, she was almost there. The weight in her chest lessened. It seemed like forever since she’d fled the city, but it had been mere days.

  How could someone’s life change so drastically?

  When she’d awakened this evening, she rose feeling lost and emptier than ever before. She half expected to feel Etienne’s warm body next to her.

  Annie shook her head at the remembrance.

  After an hour of contemplating her options, she realized that there was nothing for her in California. At least with the Renaissance fair she had a life there. But even that thought saddened her.

  Clyde was dead. He wouldn’t threaten her again. Of course, there were the police to consider, but whatever power or magic Etienne had used to evade them at the motel, he could use to hide any evidence.

  “Etienne.” Annie recalled the plans they made the previous night to return to Apache Junction—start a future together. She swallowed hard. Her eyes grew misty.

  He had given her the first taste of happiness she’d experienced in a long time. It was as if he knew what beat in her heart. They were two misfits in this world. Maybe that’s why throughout the trip irrational thoughts had popped in and out of her head.

  Were she and Etienne really that different?

  If anyone knew lonely, he did.

  At least she had humanity in common with the rest of the world, although she had never felt a part of the crowd. Her mother had been her confidant—friend—and Clyde had robbed Annie of that.

  But what about Etienne?

  Her heart skipped a beat just thinking of him.

  If she were honest, he’d done nothing more than what she had wanted to do—kill Clyde.

  Revenge had compelled her. What had possessed Etienne?

  Love. He sought to protect you. Velia’s response made Annie laugh, as tears fell. She and Etienne weren’t from different classes of people. They were from different worlds, literally.

  For God’s sake, he was a vampire.

  He’s a man, Velia said. Different, but still a man.

  Annie couldn’t argue with that. Even now she hungered to feel his arms around her. She longed to bask beneath his smile, taste his kisses.

  As she pulled off the freeway onto the dirt road that led to the fair, she wondered if she would ever see him again. He hadn’t probed her thoughts—if he had she felt certain she would have known. Maybe he’d given up on her, as she had done to him last night.

  Several lights were lit in some of the trailers surrounding hers. She parked her car, opened the door, dragging her bag and purse out behind her.

  Had her decision to return to Apache Junction been wrong?

  Climbing the stairs to her trailer, she couldn’t help but think that vampire or not, Etienne had been the best thing that had happened to her in a long time. Now he was gone.

  She pushed open the trailer door and entered the dark room. When she switched the light on the first thing she saw were her cards lying on the table. Etienne’s reading spread out, four cards still left to discover. Slowly, she moved toward them, setting her bag and purse down before reaching for the facedown card.

  Her hands trembled as she raised the seventh card. As she did there was a knock on her door. She rose, crossed the room and opened the door.

  Etienne stood before her.

  A host of emotions assailed her. Anxiety. Excitement. Uncertainty. Dressed in a red T-shirt, jeans and boots, it was hard to envision the handsome man as anything other than a man.

  “You never finished my reading.” His dark, silky voice caressed her, making her tremble.

  Annie didn’t know what possessed her, but she stepped aside and he entered. Without a word he followed her to the small table. They both took a seat.

  A shaky hand reached for the seventh card, turning it over to reveal the Magician.

  Annie found her voice. “It’s the synthesis. Coming together, internal factors the questioner has to bare. Free will, self-reliance, ingenuity.”

  He didn’t speak, only placed one hand upon the table.

  Temperance appeared as the eighth card beneath her fingers.

  “Management, harmony and patience. Someone from the past will say hello and goodbye. A change you desire will occur.”

  He reached across the table and placed a hand atop one of hers. Heat spread throughout her. His touch was warm and welcoming.

  “Annie.” He hesitated briefly. “I wasn’t always like this. I was human with a man’s dreams. The night we met I had planned to end my existence. But fate put you in my path. You made me want to live again.” The tears in his voice made her throat grow tight.

  Unconsciously, she flipped over the ninth card revealing the Hierophant.

  “Ritual, kindness and compassion.” How could she see Etienne any other way? “An important event that will overpower all other cards in both impact and effect.”

  What she didn’t divulge is that the Hierophant showed he wanted to establish a deeper bond or unbind the bonds that blocked or restricted him from obtaining what he wanted.

  And he wanted her.

  The knowledge made a dam of emotions beat against her eyelids. Like a book, he was opening himself up to her. It shook her to the core.

  Etienne squeezed her hand gently. “I can’t change what I am. But I won’t ask for more than you can give.”

  Annie didn’t know what to say.

  Love—no matter its form—should never be turned away, Velia interjected.

  Did Etienne love her? Did she love him?

  Could she join him and live the life of an immortal? Was that even possible?

  Annie began to tremble as she exposed the tenth card, the synthesis that brings everything together. She wasn’t surprised to see the World card.

  “We belong together. I know you feel it.” One hand slid up her arm, until he cradled the side of her face in his warm palm. “It’s a hunger—a need stirring inside us both, demanding to be united.”

  He had touched her the first night like this and said almost the exact words. Like then there was no use in denying she felt it too.

  As the World card depicted, they had come full circle.

  Etienne felt his last ounce of hope drain from his body when tears rolled down Annie’s cheeks.

  What had he expected?

  She was human—he was not.

  Etienne’s hand drifted to his side as he rose.

  “Wait.” Annie licked her lips nervously, brushing away her tears. She pushed to her feet to stand before him. “We were drawn together for a reason. I don’t know why, but I know I don’t want you to go.” Her fingertips grazed his cheek. “Please.”

  Etienne didn’t waste a moment pulling her into his arms. When their bodies touched it was as if a heavy weight lifted from his chest. He captured her mouth with his. She made that little whimpering sound he loved so much. He angled his head and deepened the caress, tasting her sweetness.

  When the kiss ended, he refused to release her.

  “I need to be inside you,” he murmured as his lips smoothed a path down her throat. She tasted of salt and woman.

  And she was all his.

  “Then take me,” she encouraged softly.

  With a swipe of his hand beneath her knee, he raised her into arms. A squeal of surprise squeezed from her mouth. She grabbed for him, weaving her arms around his neck and holding on as he made it to the bedroom.

  Clothes were thrown askew, reminding him of why she had left in such a hurry. He forced the anger down, refusing to allow it to spoil the moment. Instead, he sat her on the bed and started to peel her clothing off. Her shirt was the first to go. When she reached for his jeans, he mentally whisked them away.

  Wide-eyed, she stared at him. “How did you do that?”

  “Magic, bébé.” He used the same magic to dissolve the rest of her clothing from her body.

  “Oh!” She inhaled sharply. “Will I be able to do that?”

  Etienne couldn’t move.

  What exactly was she saying?

  When he gained his composure, he asked, “Does this mean you will join me?”

  She reached for his hand, pulling him onto the bed next to her. “We are two halves of a whole meant to be together for all eternity. There is no other choice than to walk beside you. Wherever you go—I go. Because I will wake beside you sooner or later.” She cocked a haughty brow, even though he felt the shiver that raced through her.

  Joyful laughter burst from deep inside him. Etienne couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He wrapped Annie in an embrace, taking her down upon the bed. Fingers locked together, he pressed her arms above her head, his body across hers so that they met flesh to flesh.

  He gazed into her eyes, and then parted her thighs with a knee.

  Icy-hot tingles ignited in his balls, making his erection rock-hard as he thrust his hips, burying himself in her heat. Chills raced down his spine and he fought to breathe.

  This was where he belonged. This was home.

  He rocked gently against her, causing her to release soft gasps and moans each time he eased back and pushed deeper inside her.

  “Etienne,” Annie whispered his name against his ear.

  She arched beneath him. Her mouth parted on a cry as she began to tremble. Her inner muscles clenched and released. His own climax rushed to the surface, hot and urgent, eager to join her.

  Their hands released, folding around each other. Holding on tightly as their orgasms washed over them, carrying them into heaven.

  The moment was surreal, everything he had hoped for.

  Annie was his.

  Etienne had found a woman worth dying for. But more importantly—one worth living for.

  About the Author

  A taste of the erotic, a measure of daring and a hint of laughter describes Mackenzie McKade’s novels. She sizzles the pages with scorching sex, fantasy and deep emotion that will touch you and keep you immersed until the end. Whether her stories are contemporaries, futuristics or fantasies, this Arizona native thrives on giving you the ultimate erotic adventure.

  When not traveling through her vivid imagination, she’s spending time with three beautiful daughters, a devilishly handsome grandson, and the man of her dreams. She loves to write, enjoys reading, and can’t wait ‘til summer. Boating and jet skiing are top on her list of activities. Add to that laughter and if mischief is in order—Mackenzie’s your gal!