Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

Taking it, he stuffed it in a back pocket and headed back to Marge.

Nicole covered her wrist with the tail of her shirt and applied pressure.

“Open your mouth,” he ordered.

Blood trailed down Marge’s neck from the puncture wounds. After an owlish blink, she parted her lips.

Sean placed the tracker in her mouth. Grabbing a bottle of water off the coffee table, he handed it to her. “Swallow it.”

Weaving on her feet, Marge took the bottle from him, tilted her head back, and gulped down several swallows.

“Show me,” Sean said when she returned the bottle.

She opened her mouth.

Nicole couldn’t see inside it from her position. “Did she swallow it?”

“Yeah.”

Marge’s eyes rolled back in her head as her knees buckled.

Sean caught her and turned to settle her in one of the cushy seats.

Nicole cast the cockpit door a nervous glance while he buckled the woman in. “Did biting Marge make her compliant like that?” The vampire victims Nicole had seen firsthand had all been unconscious or dead. She hadn’t realized they could become that malleable when under the influence.

“Yes. It will also ensure she won’t remember what happened. If we’re lucky, the last thing she’ll be able to recall is heading into the bedroom.” He picked up Marge’s phone. “Good. The screen hasn’t locked yet.”

“What are you doing?”

“Disabling the lock screen and turning the cell service off.” Once done, he pocketed the phone. Squatting beside Rylan, he grabbed the unconscious man’s arm, drew his wrist to his mouth, and sank his fangs in.

Nicole cast the cockpit another look. “Do you think they heard anything?” Sean’s brief battle with the men hadn’t been a silent one. Marge had blamed the noise on the television. Had the pilots done the same?

Sean dropped Rylan’s arm. “I don’t think those pilots are new to trips like this. Neither of them protested when Kent bashed me in the back of the head. I assume it was Kent?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure they’re paid well enough to keep their attention and thoughts on flying the plane and let whatever happens in back happen.”

“What total A-holes.”

“Yeah.” He drew the other blazer guy’s wrist to his lips.

Nicole took a step toward him. “Sean? Are you okay? Did they hurt you? You’re taking a lot of blood.” She hadn’t thought he’d sustained any injuries during the fight. But if he needed this large an infusion…

He didn’t respond until he dropped the man’s arm. “I’m not injured. The virus used all the blood I infused myself with earlier to keep the sun from roasting me. So I’m tanking up.”

“Tanking up for what? What exactly is the plan, Sean?” Fight their way free from whoever would be waiting for them when they landed?

He rose and strode toward her. “I think we can salvage this.” Taking her hand, he drew her into his arms, lowered his head, and took her lips in a deep, devouring kiss that instantly kicked her heartbeat into overdrive.

Wrapping her arms around him, Nicole kissed him back for all she was worth, happy he was okay and so grateful that he was there with her, even if it meant Reordon might go ballistic.

“You scared the hell out of me,” he whispered. “When the special ops team told me you’d been taken…” His brown eyes brightened again with amber light.

Her heart melted. “I know. I’m sorry.”

He kissed her again, softer this time. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“I’ll try not to.”

Smiling, he released her. “Okay. Here’s the plan.” Sean took out his cell phone and held a button down to get it to boot up. “Once the cellular is back on, I’ll call Seth. He’ll pick up Aidan and teleport him here to the plane. Aidan will take your place as Becca. I’ll resume my role as the dashing love interest, George Davies.”

“Very dashing.”

He motioned to the unconscious men. “Seth can heal these assholes and alter their memories. Then he can teleport you to safety while Aidan and I continue to our destination.”

She stared at him. “That’s actually not bad.”

He grinned. “I know. I’m brilliant, aren’t I?”

Her lips twitched. “And so modest. There’s only one problem, hotshot.”

Glancing down at his phone, he unlocked the screen. “What’s that?”

“When they torture Aidan-slash-Becca to get you to talk, won’t they notice that his wounds heal almost as quickly as they inflict them?”

He waved away her concern. “I’ll fold long before they do anything that would leave a mark.” A second later, his face twisted into an anguished mask as he linked his fingers in a prayer position around his phone. “Please,” he begged, folding forward. “Don’t hurt her.” His breath hitched in a sob. “I’ll tell you anything,” he cried in a spectacular demonstration of overacting. “Anything.” More sobs. “Just please don’t hurt her.” Straightening, he smiled.

Nicole grinned. “Okay. But you’re going to have to dial that back a bit.”

Laughing, he unlocked his phone.