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“Shut the fuck up,” Russell muttered. “Before my friends decide to kill you.”
“Your friends?” Markos snorted, then angled his head toward Jia. “So, is she your pet kitten? Do you make her purr?”
Russell seized his brother by the neck. “Shut up, or I’ll kill you myself.”
“Is that why I’m here?” Markos sneered. “Don’t tell me my noble brother has turned into a lowly executioner.”
Russell released him with a shove. “I brought you here so I could talk to you.”
“Great!” Markos cleared his throat and switched to English. “So, are you over your shock yet? Last time, you looked like you were going to barf.”
“I feel sick every time I think about my brother being a mass murderer.”
“Aw, does it offend your noble sensibilities? Get over yourself, Russell. You were a soldier, too. We were mass murderers by profession. How many villages did you wipe out?”
Russell gritted his teeth. “It was war. How you handle the aftermath is up to you. As far as I’m concerned, I have done nothing to be ashamed of. I was fighting for freedom. And for my country.”
“So am I.” Markos’s mouth curled up with amusement. “But now, the country doesn’t belong to some corrupt government in Washington. This country is mine!”
Russell scoffed. “It was never yours. You stole it.”
“To the victor go the spoils.” Markos’s face grew harsh. “You were an officer. You never knew what it was like to be a grunt, and to have an idiot officer over you treating you like expendable meat. I wasn’t going to take it anymore! I’m in charge now!”
“And now you consider your soldiers expendable? How many more have to die for you, Markos?”
He shrugged. “They volunteer. They want the superhuman abilities that come with serving me. And they want to be a part of my greatness. Why should I deny them?”
His greatness? Russell groaned inwardly. His brother was more than an asshole. He was certifiable. Illusions of grandeur and no conscience about the death and suffering he caused.
Markos grinned. “I’m going to take over the world. Not bad for a farm boy from Colorado, huh?”
“You think Dad would be proud of you?”
Markos’s smile faded. “That idiot. He always acted like you were Mr. Perfect. Ha! You’ll be working for me now.”
“You’re delusional.”
“Not at all.” Markos waved a dismissive hand. “I know exactly how you are. You always had to be the leader, the noble protector. And you expected the helpless little brother to follow.”
“I did what I was supposed to do. I was older than you.”
“So I was doomed never to be in charge?” Markos sneered. “Why do you think I kept you in a coma for so long? I knew I wanted you to rule by my side, but I couldn’t risk you taking over. So before waking you up, I had to make sure I had everything under my control. Now I’m the one with more experience. I’m the older one now.”
Russell stepped back as if he’d been hit. “You . . . you destroyed my life over a fucking case of sibling rivalry?”
Markos shrugged. “How does it feel to be the lowly one? It really sucks, doesn’t it?”
“Do you know what happened while I was in a coma?” Russell clenched his hands into fists. “Our parents died. I lost my wife. I lost my daughter! Even the ranch is gone!”
“Why do you care about puny mortals, when we can live forever? And why bother with a ranch when we can rule the world?” Markos snorted. “This is why I have to be the boss. You think too damned small!” He took a step toward Russell, but Jia yanked him back. “Cut it out!” he yelled at her in Chinese.
“Leave her alone,” Russell growled.
Markos switched back to English. “Is she really that special to you? I’ll make sure she lives. Just like I took care of you. The minute I realized how powerful and immortal I was, I knew I was destined for greatness, and I had to share it with you. I started planning for you. I experimented with hundreds of people to master the technique of long-term vampire comas. When I learned you were on leave in Phuket, I searched until I found you. You were so happy to see me that it was easy to take you by surprise.”
Russell’s stomach churned with disgust. “You should have left me the hell alone.”
“No! We belong together. I want you by my side while I take over the world.”
Russell shook his head. “Your army is depleted. They no longer want to fight for you. Half of our army is made up of soldiers who deserted you and want to kill you. It’s over, Markos.”
His brother’s eyes flashed with anger. “It’s not over! I’ll make you second in command. And I have Darafer—”
“Do you really think you can trust a demon? He’s probably letting you do all the work so he can kill you—”
“No! He needs me. And I need you, Russell. You have experience with my worst enemies—these shifters and vampires. You know how they work. With your help, we can defeat them.”
Russell glanced over at Jia, who was watching carefully but probably not understanding much of their English. Rajiv understood, though, and his grip flexed on his sword as if he was eager to use it. Next to him, Tenzen was also ready with a sword.
“These are my friends,” Russell said. “Do you expect me to betray them?”
Markos snorted. “Are you going to betray your own brother? Now that you know who I am, you have to join me.”
“I have to convince you to stop. It’s over, Markos.”
“Stop saying that! Russell—”
“Enough,” a voice spoke from behind a large column. Darafer stepped out, dressed in his usual black attire, his hands resting in the pockets of his long black coat. “Your army grows restless, Han. How about I kill all these people and take you back?”
Tenzen and Rajiv jumped back to keep both Darafer and Han in their sight. Rajiv kept his sword pointed at Markos, while Tenzen aimed his at the demon.
Russell stepped back, his hand going to the knife wedged under his belt. He glanced over to Jia and motioned toward the door with his head. With the arrival of Darafer, the level of danger had just skyrocketed, and he wanted her out of here.
She bit her lip, then shook her head.
“I’m not leaving without my brother,” Markos told the demon.
Darafer sighed. “Have you been listening to him? He’s not interested. In fact, if you don’t surrender, he probably intends to kill you.”
“He’s my brother!” Markos yelled. “He would never kill me.”
Darafer smiled slowly, his gaze shifting to Russell. “Are you sure about that?”
“Then help me, Darafer,” Markos said. “Make him join us.”
The demon sneered. “The last time I forced someone, I ended up back in hell, and you never got me out.”
“A mistake on my part, I admit that.” Markos inclined his head. “Only you can make more supersoldiers. But remember how Wu Shen betrayed us. We need a second in command whom we can trust. If you bite my brother, he’ll do whatever you say. He’ll even kill the angels if they show up.”
Darafer shook his head. “He can’t kill an angel any more than he could kill me.”
“He could attack them, and that would distract them enough that you could escape,” Markos insisted. “You know we need him. He could get Xiao Fang back for us.”
“That much is true. The dragon boy trusts him.” Darafer cast an amused look at Russell. “What do you think? Are you ready to join your brother, or shall I give you a little . . . encouragement?” His eyes turned black.
Russell pulled his knife out. “Try it, asshole.” He shot a look at Rajiv. “Get Jia out of here now!”
Rajiv ran toward his cousin and jerked the silver chain out of her hands. “Go!”
The chain fell to the ground, releasing Markos just as Darafer morphed into a large black wolf.
Russell lifted his knife as the wolf slowly advanced.
Tenzen ripped off his tunic and shifted into a tiger.
“Get out!” Rajiv pushed Jia toward the door, then he shifted.
She pulled off her robe.
“No!” Russell yelled when she shifted.
