Blood & Secrets: The Night Movers Vampire Series Book 2

by Helen Bright

  “Will you come back to the cottage with me?” he said, stroking his hand down my arm and smiling at me as if I wasn’t going to refuse him.

  “I thought we were staying here Josh.”

  “Well apparently I’m no longer welcome here,” Josh said with a sigh. “Gregor’s kicked me out, and I was only allowed up here to apologise to you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, he pinned me up against the wall in the hallway and threatened me that if I hurt you again, he will personally make sure I regret it. That guy has such a soft spot for you, Keeley. I think he's taken to you as he took to Freya.”

  “I like him too. He said I am welcome to stay here for as long as I need to and that I can go back to Russia with him if I want.”

  Josh pulled his arm away from me and turned my face to look at him.

  “You aren’t going to go with him are you Keeley?”

  “I would have liked to go and see what it’s like over there. And also to meet his other staff.”

  “No, please Keeley. We don’t know where Maxim is, and if I’m not there to keep you safe, I will not rest.”

  “I won’t put myself at risk Josh; I’m not stupid.”

  “I know you’re not, babe. I just…I didn’t protect you last time and look what happened. I can’t go through that again; your safety has to be a priority from now on, yours and Daisy’s.”

  “I know, and I appreciate that. But I’m much stronger now, and I can take care of myself.”

  “I know love. So are you coming back to our cottage tonight?”

  “No Josh. I think I am going to stay here for a while. I think it’s for the best.”

  I expected him to be shocked, but he wasn’t. He kissed me softly on the lips just once, then got up to leave.

  “I will call Freya when I get home and tell her that you want her to be Daisy’s guardian for a while, and I will ask her to bring Daisy over so we can talk to her about it.”

  “Thanks, Josh. I wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. I could cry just thinking about it.”

  “I know love. But even though I hate it I know you have made the right decision.”

  “Thank you. It means a lot to know I have your support in this.”

  “Walk me out, Keeley. I know it’s still light so you can’t go near the door, but at least, I will have your company for a little longer.”

  So I did as he asked and we parted company in the hallway. He waited until I had gone into the kitchen until he opened the door and left.

  Gregor was at the kitchen counter eating strawberries and cream.

  “Would you like some, Keeley?” he asked. “These strawberries are delicious.”

  He offered me a strawberry dipped in the whipped cream and held it in front of my lips. I took a bite out of it and savoured the taste. It was sweet and juicy. I went to take the rest from his fingers, but he popped it into his mouth.

  “You can get your own,” he said smiling. “That one looked way too tasty to let you have it all.” I laughed at him but grabbed a bowl out of the cupboard and filled it before Gregor ate them all.

  I hadn’t mentioned to Gregor about him making Josh leave. I missed him, but I think it would probably do us good. After all, it was what I was trying to achieve a couple of days ago.

  I’ve been so used to making my own decisions; I find it hard to let other people do it. Like Josh said, I too like to feel that I’m in control. I think it comes from being a single parent, or maybe all mums feel this way. I’ve never been one of these ‘it’s my way or the highway’ types. But when you balance being the parent of a small child, little or no spare money, a drunk father and a job, then a little bit of control makes you at least think that you are keeping on top of things, even if you aren’t.

  Gregor and I were watching a Mafia film on one of the movie channels. I loved this film, and so did Gregor. So even though we had both seen it before, we sat together on the sofa with the last few strawberries and some very nice champagne that he had in his cellar. I did ask him about the bit that had been sectioned off for a ‘different use’, but he declined to tell me anything about it.

  Instead, we talked about the movie, and he told me about how the Russian mafia or the ‘Bratva’ as it is also known, had been active in Russia since the time of the Tsars. Gregor said it had gained in numbers and power every year since the Second World War and was known to have infiltrated many other countries in the West, in particular, Britain, Germany and America.

  I knew very little about it, to be honest, and was quite appalled by some of the stories he told. But his country had many different political events over the last two centuries, and the issues that these political factions brought about have caused their own set of problems to the people of Russia and the Ukraine. Gregor said without the political issues; the Bratva may not have had such a big impact.

  Gregor was saddened by the problems his country had faced and all the various uprisings that came about because of this. War was sadly much more commonplace now, and some of the people of the Ukraine and poorer areas of Russia have suffered dearly for this.

  I hated to see him so sad, so I linked my fingers with his and rested my head on his shoulder. Thinking about everything that Gregor had seen in his life, I wondered how he remained such a nice guy.

  He had been around over five hundred years, and a lot of the history he had personally born witness to should have left him quite jaded. But Gregor had an almost regal way about him. Something about being in his presence commanded your full attention. I asked if he had any royal blood in him, but he just winked at me and said, “Not recently, why? Are you offering Princess?”

  I laughed but winked back at him and said, “Anytime, Tsar Gregor.”

  The atmosphere in the room changed, and Gregor held my hand a little tighter.

  “Would you like more champagne, Keeley?” Gregor asked.

  “It’s really nice Gregor, but I’ve had two glasses already and although I’m not drunk I don’t want to stand suddenly, and it hit me all at once like alcohol normally does.”

  “Ahh, but you forget that as you are a vampire now, you can tolerate much more alcohol than you did before. But do not trust Sergei’s alcohol because he has a friend who is a born immortal that makes it and it is very strong,” he said in a warning voice.

  “Too late for that I’m afraid. Ryan and I had some the last time he brought it over. I was in a terrible state. Josh took us both back to his cottage to look after us because we were so drunk. I lost one of my high heels and my bra, although I still wore all my clothes, so I don’t know how the bra went missing.”

  “Keeley that kind of behaviour was very unbecoming of you and was also putting your safety at risk. I shall have strong words with Sergei about this,” Gregor said crossly.

  “Why? It wasn’t his fault. I knew I shouldn’t have had the second glass, so it was totally my fault.”

  I could see Gregor still shaking his head at me, not accepting that I would willingly get totally wrecked like that. He obviously held a very high opinion of me, and although I liked that he thought of me that way, it wasn’t right to blame someone else for my actions.

  “I decided that after we had taken my dad into rehab, I was going to be more careful when I went out drinking. It’s just that sometimes I liked to go out and forget about all my responsibilities, even if it was only for a few hours. My ex’s parents would take Daisy overnight, and I would just let go for a change and dance with my friends.”

  “I can understand that, Keeley. I know you haven’t always had it easy and I am sorry for that. A woman like you should only ever have had the finest things in life, and be taken care of by a man who worships you. Your ex was a poor excuse for a man. I am glad you have made a better choice with Josh.”

  It was said sincerely, although, I still questioned him.

  “But that’s the same man who you made leave your home this afternoon Gregor.”

  “And the very same man wh
o has been parked outside my home for the last fifteen minutes,” he replied.

  “What? Where?” I asked, getting up from the sofa and walking over to the window. Sure enough, I saw Josh’s Honda parked on the other side of the driveway.

  “He pulled up when the man in the movie shot his boss. I thought you may have heard, but you were too busy being horrified by the film. This is why you need to be with one of us instead of alone at your father’s home. Your senses are much more heightened now, but you still need to be more aware of your surroundings until Maxim is caught.

  “You were occupied with the film, and that’s how it should be when you have others to take care of you. But if you are ever on your own then you need to be constantly alert until the vampire who hurt you is truly dead. Joshua is here because he fears for your safety.

  “He knows that I will watch over you, Keeley, but because you are his, he feels that no one can protect you as much as he can. He is very possessive and overprotective of you, and your daughter, and that is why your decision today was hard for him. He wants to love and protect both of you because you belong to him now. Once everything settles and you become accustomed to your immortality, you will feel the same.” Gregor was at my shoulder peering out of the window at Josh’s vehicle.

  “I love him Gregor, and I do feel possessive of him, but I need to have a little bit of independence too, and it irritates me when he assumes I will let him make all the decisions for us.”

  Gregor rested his chin on the top of my head and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  “Keeley, I want you to think about a few people and how they cope with certain aspects of this life. Firstly, think of my lovely Freya, and how strong and independent she is. A good role model for any woman, immortal or not. Then think about your friends, Gina, and Julia. Both of these women are human with immortal men who show the same sort of possessive overprotective love that Josh displays, but tell me now, who do you think is in charge in their relationships?”

  “Well Nik and Alex like to think they are in charge, but I know that they would both do anything in their power to keep their women happy. So I suppose it’s a little of both.”

  This was an honest answer based on my observations and my talks with both Gina and Julia.

  “Exactly. It requires give and take from each person in a relationship to make it work, but an immortal male is a dominant force in the relationship. When you have the bond, it will create similar feelings in you, so you will start to feel as possessive of your male too. Through the bond the male will be more aware of the female’s feelings, he will then try and adjust his actions when he senses through the bond that his female is upset.”

  “Why can’t they just listen to what we tell them in the first place, human or immortal?” I asked in exasperation.

  “My darling Keeley, that would make things just a little too easy now wouldn’t it? Let me ask you this, how many times have you been angry or upset, and when a man asks you how you are you say ‘fine,' when clearly you are not. Then the man has to work out why you are upset instead of just being told.”

  He was right of course. I had done that many times with Dan over the years when he had pissed me off, and more recently with Josh.

  “Gregor, how do you know so much about relationships when you have no significant other in your life? You seem to be very good at reading women.”

  “It is good to study people and their behaviour; it’s part of what makes a good businessman after all. You need to study people's tells as it were, like when you are playing poker. You need to read their actions to see if they are bluffing, or have a hand that could steal the game. You will get the very best out of a business meeting that way. It is also how I like to study women, and that way when I am with a woman sexually, I know how to get the most out of them.”

  I felt him pull away as if he realised he had said too much. I let the curtain fall back into place and turned around to find Gregor. He stood in front of the unlit fireplace with his back to me.

  “Gregor, show me the secret room you had built downstairs,” I said it as a command, not a question this time.

  “It is not for a woman like you to see, Keeley.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, shocked at his attitude.

  “The type of sex that the room dictates is not for someone as nice as you,” he said very matter of fact.

  “What I should or should not be doing when it comes to sex should be up to me to decide, Gregor. Do you think it’s only sluts who like a bit of kink?”

  He looked me in the eyes, and I thought at first he would deny me access again. But he strode towards me and took my hand in his before leading me towards the secret room he had in the cellar.

  The wine cellar had been cool as we passed through it, but the room he led me into after that was pleasantly warm. He flipped a switch that lit the room in an almost ambient light which seemed to come from various amber spotlights overhead. Of course, I knew what this room was supposed to be from what Josh had said, but I expected something similar to a very famous book I had read about this sort of thing. But this room was nothing like that.

  There was no bed covered in red satin or silk sheets, in fact, the only piece of normal furniture was something that looked part sofa, part chaise which was against the wall on the left-hand side of the room.

  To my right was what I knew to be a St Andrew’s cross. However, it looked like it was attached to thick steel girders. The cross itself was made up of a thick highly polished oak looking wood and had leather padding about the middle and halfway along each end. I ran my hand over the wood and the leather, both of which felt beautifully smooth.

  Even though it was obviously varnished, the wood still had that just chopped smell to it, and the leather had that new bag smell that you only get with quality material. There were various holes and fixings running along it, and I wondered what they were for.

  “I know what this is, Gregor. But how does it work?” I asked.

  “Would you like a demonstration, Keeley?” he asked smirking at me, expecting me to say no.

  “Yes, I would,” I said as I tried to replicate the same smirk back to him.

  He hesitated, and I could see he didn’t want to do it, so I walked over to another piece of equipment.

  “This looks like something we used to have in the gym at school,” I said as I tried to figure out what it was.

  Gregor came up behind me and pushed on my shoulders. I dropped to the floor, my knees resting on comfy padded black leather. The piece was similar to the vaulting horse or pommel horse I think they used to call it, although it was only around three feet in height.

  Again the wooden structure was made in a very pleasing oak colour and instead of the soft suede we had at school, the top of this one was finished in padded black leather. There was a dip in the middle of the padding and Gregor pushed my shoulders forward, so my body leant on the wood and my head rested in the dip. He ran his palms over my arms and placed them on the other side of the horse, or bench, or whatever it was. Gregor walked around the other side and slipped both wrists inside two black leather cuffs which were firmly attached to the wood.

  “Gregor, what is this thing used for?” I asked trying not to sound nervous, but failing miserably.

  “Anything I want, my darling,” he whispered in my ear, before running his nose down the side of my neck and inhaling deeply. There was a comfortable piece of black vertical leather about a foot long and two inches wide through the middle of it. I felt a pull low in my belly, but when the structure suddenly started to move, I felt my tummy flip completely.

  “Gregor, what’s happening?” I half yelled as I felt my body being lifted when the wood started to rise. I moved my head to the side to find Gregor with a remote control.

  “I like to be able to move and alter much of my equipment to suit my needs and the height of the submissive. With this, I can deliver any punishment the submissive requires, sensual or not. There are ankle c
uffs as well as wrist restraints to keep them in place.”

  Gregor then dropped down right behind me and pressed his groin into my bottom. Whispering into my other ear, he said, “When I think my submissive is right where I want her to be, I can allow myself to fuck her and take her blood.”

  Just then, the vertical leather piece which was resting against my core started to vibrate in hard pulsing movements. I couldn’t help the moan that slipped out of my mouth as Gregor thrust against my backside, and when his teeth scraped against the side of my neck, I felt myself become wet.

  But this was wrong. As much as I was enjoying this experience, it was happening with the wrong man. When I felt Gregor shift slightly behind me, pressing his erection between the cheeks of my bottom I began to panic.

  “Gregor this is wrong,” I said breathlessly.

  “And that is exactly my point, my darling. It is not right for a woman like you to be in a place like this.”

  “That’s not what I mean you bloody fool,” I yelled. “I should be down here doing this with my fiancé, not my boss.”

  Gregor quickly jumped to his feet and released me from the cuffs. He rubbed my wrists and then kissed each one.

  “I am so sorry Keeley. Please forgive my actions, I should not have done what I did, and it will never happen again.” He was so worried what my reaction would be that he couldn’t look me in the eyes.

  “Gregor, look at me please?” I asked as I stepped closer to him.

  When he finally raised his eyes to me, I smiled at him and then winked.

  “You will be pleased to know that a ‘woman like me’ found that pretty hot and if it was Josh who was doing all that I would have begged for him to do what you suggested. All this,” I gestured around the room to the equipment, “is something I find really thrilling, and it’s a turn on just knowing what this room is for. Does that make me a slut in your eyes? If it does, so what, I am still a good person who would never willingly hurt someone. I will openly admit I like sex, kinky or not.”