Dark Fire by Christine Feehan. Dark Series – book 6

“Where did you get an idea like that?” Tempest wished she’d thought of it. She was allowing him to in­timidate her, when maybe he was just as scared. “I don’t read slimy tabloids, Brodrick, so maybe you should tell me what you’re looking for. I take it you plan to use those pictures of me. I’m not a celebrity, and, in any case, what would be the point? So I prefer animals to people. I have an affinity for them. You print that, and all you’ll do is maybe lose me my job. How is that going to help you accomplish whatever it is you want?”

Brodrick was studying her. She was standing with the sun behind her, so he didn’t spot right away the love bite on her neck. When he did, he made a strangled sound and scrambled backward, hastily reaching inside the neckline of his shirt to drag out a silver cross. He held it out in front of him, facing her.

Tempest stared at it a moment without comprehension. Then, as the significance sank in, she burst out laughing. “What are you doing, you idiot? You’re nuts! You really believe the junk you print, don’t you?”

“You’re one of them. You bear the mark of the beast. You’re his servant now,” he accused hysterically. The sun shining on the silver glared into her eyes.

Tempest touched her neck with her fingertips. “Who is he? What beast? I’m beginning to think you’re insane. My boyfriend was playing around and gave me a hickey. What did you think it was?”

“They’re vampires, the lot of them,” Brodrick said. “Why do you think they sleep during the day?”

Tempest laughed softly. “Is that why there’s so many coffins in the bus? Wow. I never thought they were vampires.”

Brodrick swore angrily, furious that she would make fun of him. “You won’t be laughing at me when I prove it to the world. We’re on to them. We have been for some time. We’re traced them over the last fifty years, and they haven’t aged a bit.”

“Who are ‘we’? And you have proof of this?” Her heart was in her throat, but she forced the taunting grin to remain on her face. “You don’t look fifty yourself, Brodrick, so maybe you’re one of them, too.”

“Don’t laugh at me,” he hissed, furious. “We’re a society of concerned citizens trying to save the world from these demons. We put ourselves at great risk. Some of our people were killed in Europe, you know-martyrs for our great cause. We can’t let vampires continue to en­danger mankind.”

Her eyes widened. She was looking at an honest-to-God fanatic, doubtless somehow behind the effort to kill Desari. “Mr. Brodrick.” She tried to be reasonable. “You can’t actually believe what you’re saying. I know these people. They’re hardly vampires; they’re just a little ec­centric. They travel around singing like most bands do. Darius cooked me vegetable soup the other day. Desari has a reflection in the mirror-I’ve seen it myself. And I was only kidding about the coffins. The bus has every luxury, including a sleeping area. Please believe me, these are just talented people trying to make a living.”

“I saw the mark on you. They use humans. No one has seen them out in the sun. I know I’m right. We almost had them the last time. And what happened to our best marksmen-the ones we sent out to destroy them? They disappeared without a trace. How did Desari escape? How did she live with several bullets put into her? Tell me that. They claim she went to the hospital, and a private doctor took care of her. Ha!”

“That’s easy enough to check on.”

“The doctor says she was there. So do three nurses and a few techs, but no one else. A famous singer in their hospital and most of the staff can’t remember it? And I didn’t find one surgical nurse who knew a thing about it. They claimed everyone on the operating team was a specialist brought in from the outside.”

“The Dark Troubadours are wealthy, Brodrick. Wealthy people do things like that. But are you openly saying you were part of an attempt on Desari’s life?” The admission frightened her; she had the feeling he wouldn’t bother to confess unless he planned to get rid of her, too. For the first time she was afraid for her life. Did he have a gun? It was entirely possible. Worse, she believed Brodrick was insane. No one in his right mind would believe in vampires taking over humankind. She’d always believed vampires to be myth-at least until she saw Darius in action. This man was basing his notions on mere foolishness and hoary old legends.