Scarlet Assassin Read Free Page B

well.
    “The coven is still here for you.”
    “Maybe, but I’m not here for the coven.” Her steely gaze pierced Butch’s own cold metallic stare. “The coven is old school but times change and so should the teachings. You’ve lost the ability to move forward with the changing times.”
    “No one complains about the Catholic Church and its old, stalwart teaching.”
    “Technology has forced change. The church suffers from its lack of change, it’s gushing parishioners. I can’t believe you, of all people, are sitting here preaching to me of the church’s virtues. You clearly have lost your mind, Gaylord.”
    “Selene, Selene, Selene,” he said, tapping the chair for emphasis. “Come back to the coven. We are stronger than ever. We’ve added to our numbers, branched out. We’ve strengthened the covens overseas and have moved forward.”
    “You said that before.” She pointed out the obvious.
    He wasn’t deterred, as he slung his short frame back into the chair and continued, “We can use more strong, determined women with your skills.”
    Selene knew what he was implying. Few who still lived in the coven could walk in the daylight. Their old ways kept them firmly rooted in the darkness. Evil always sought out evil. It thrived on the chaos, the power and the weakness of others. To go to the coven would mean giving up the freedom, strength and the light. She wasn’t going backwards.
    “Thanks, but I’d like to keep my options open. You’ll be the first to know if I change my mind,” she said sharply. “Now, can we get to the reason I’m here?”
    “Of course.”
    “I want De Marcus.”
    “You know we are very unhappy with your chosen profession.”
    “I didn’t come here for your blessing. I came here to finish a job. I want De Marcus.”
    The coven had sent Selene a message a very long time ago voicing their disapproval that Selene had chosen to be nothing more than a glorified hit man. She sloughed it off and continued to do what she was good at, killing people. More importantly her clientele, often vampires themselves, were the ones dictating that vampires were the object of their disdain. The occupation had few perks, but one of them was that people cut her a wide berth, which she rather enjoyed.
    “I don’t know where he is right now.”
    “Look, Gaylord, don’t wordsmith this shit. You shouldn’t be trying to protect an asshole like that. You just might find yourself going down with him.”
    “Is that a threat, Selene? Because if it is, the coven has deeper pockets and more people on the payroll than you have time to defend against.” Butch suddenly looked pissed. His jovial demeanor was replaced with an all-business attitude.
    Selene didn’t frighten easy and he should know that. She could push back just as much as he could, only she didn’t have to answer to anyone. The coven had strict rules about killing another vampire and he was limited in what he could and couldn’t do as far as she was concerned. It surprised her that the coven, more importantly Butch, was protecting De Marcus. De Marcus was a vampire trying to build an empire, and that was in direct conflict with the coven. Worse, he was trolling the bottom of the barrel in his recruitment efforts, and add to that the fact that he tried to kill AJ and Clarissa, should be unforgiveable.
    “I’m not threatening Gaylord, I’m stating a fact.
    Chapter Four
     
    AJ worried the pencil she was biting. De Marcus was starting to concern her—better said, he was still loose and a problem. Clarissa’s life was at risk and she worked every day to keep Clarissa safe. She’d rewired her penthouse suite with cameras that captured every movement down to a mouse flicking its whiskers. The motion sensors were sensitive enough to catch the slightest draft wafting the drapes and her staff was on constant alert for any possible breach in security.
    “Hey baby.” Clarissa wrapped her arms around AJ’s neck and nuzzled her. “You work