Erik grunted softly. Fifty years ago, the government had offered a thousand-dollar reward for every vampire destroyed. Those had been dangerous times. More than one Goth had been killed by mistake. As more and more innocents were killed, the government’s reward had dropped to five hundred dollars, and then two hundred and fifty. When people decided two-fifty wasn’t worth dying for, the frenzy to hunt vampires had dwindled until only dedicated hunters remained. Now there was more money to be made by selling vampire blood than by destroying them.
“Come on,” he said, rising. “It’s time to go.”
Rhys stood beside Erik on the O’Donnells’ front porch. Thrusting his hands into his pants pockets, he took a deep breath as two familiar scents reached his nostrils. Scents he remembered all too well.
“Behave yourself,” Erik admonished, and knocked on the door. From inside, he heard Daisy telling Alex that Rhys was also coming, and Alex’s stunned silence in reply.
Moments later, Daisy opened the door, a tentative smile on her face. Clad in a pale yellow sweater and a pair of faded jeans, she looked as lovely and fresh as the flower she had been named after.
For a moment, he forgot everything else as the memory of the hours they had spent together at the hotel flashed through his mind. Erik had never been one for wishful thinking, but at the moment, he wished he could sweep Daisy into his arms and carry her back to that suite in the hotel. The flush that rose in Daisy’s cheeks told him she was remembering it, too.
“Come in,” Daisy said, and then she saw Rhys, who was standing slightly behind Erik, his long legs slightly spread, his arms crossed over his chest. Attired all in black, he looked both forbidding and formidable. “Come in,” she said again, and hoped she wasn’t making a horrible mistake.
Erik and Rhys followed her into the living room.
Alex had gained his feet and now stood in front of the sofa, a wooden stake tightly clasped in one hand. He glared at Erik. “What’s he doing here?”
“Relax, both of you,” Erik said, glancing from Erik to Daisy. “He’s just here to talk.”
“Yeah, right.” Alex moved up beside Daisy, then took another step forward, putting himself between Daisy and Rhys.
Erik’s gaze met Daisy’s. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course.” Stepping around Alex, she put her hand in Erik’s.
Erik glanced at Daisy’s brother, who stood there glowering at him. “What about you?”
“Not as far as I can throw you,” Alex retorted.
Costain’s amused laughter washed over them.
Alex glared at him. “What’s so funny, bloodsucker?”
“Take it easy, hunter,” Rhys said. “The fact that you’re still breathing should prove you’re in no danger.”
“He’s right, you know,” Daisy said. “Come on, Alex, let’s all sit down and see what he has to say.”
The tension in the room was palpable as Alex resumed his seat on the sofa. His gaze never strayed from Costain.
Daisy sat beside her brother, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Despite her outward calm, she was trembling inside. The combined power of Erik and Rhys danced over her skin like static electricity.
Erik sat on the arm of the sofa.
In an effort to put Daisy and Alex at ease, Rhys moved to the far side of the room, where he stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
Alex and Rhys eyed each other warily as Erik outlined his plan. “It’s pretty simple, really. Alex, you’ll e-mail your contact and tell them you’ve destroyed Rhys and you want to set up a time to collect the reward…”
“He’s not gonna take my word for it,” Alex said, crossing his arms over his chest. “What are you planning to use for bait?”
“Fireplace ashes,” Erik replied.
“It might work,” Alex said. “But not for long.”
Erik shrugged. “By the time he realizes it’s a trap, we’ll have him.”
Rhys glanced from Erik to Alex. “Just remember, he’s mine.”
Daisy would have objected, but the hard edge in Costain’s voice and the predatory gleam in his hooded gaze brooked no argument, and neither Erik nor Alex offered any.
“So, what do you say, Alex?” Erik asked.
Alex blew out a sigh. “I’m in, but I’m sure gonna miss that two hundred grand,” he said glumly.
Rhys grinned at him. “If this works, I’ll make good on the reward.”
“Well, hell!” Alex exclaimed. “Let’s do it!”
It took only minutes for Alex to sign on to Daisy’s computer. Rhys, Daisy, and Erik stood in a semicircle behind his chair as he opened his e-mail program.
His message was short and to the point.
Have destroyed Costain.
Proof is in my hands.
Where and when can we meet?
A.
Alex hit Send, then sat back in the chair, his elbows resting on the arms, his gaze focused on the screen. “All we have to do now is wait for a reply.”
Erik looked at Rhys. “You’ll have to lay low until we hear something.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t thought about that.”
“You can stay here.” Daisy glared at Alex, silencing the argument she saw in his eyes. “No one will think to look for you here.”
“Thanks.” Rhys grinned at Erik. “I guess I owe you an apology. Remind me to say I’m sorry in a hundred years or so.”
“Right. And now. if you two don’t mind, I’d like to spend a little time alone with Daisy.”
“I don’t mind,” Rhys said with a leer.
Alex pushed away from the desk and stood up, his hands clenched at his sides. “Well, I do.”
“It’s not up to you,” Erik retorted. Taking Daisy’s hand in his, he gave it a squeeze. “What do you say, darlin’?”
“I say, let’s go.”
“Dammit, Daisy,” Alex muttered, “I don’t like you going off with him.”
“I know.”
Alex glared at Erik, then stomped out of the room.
Daisy smiled tentatively at Rhys. “Make yourself at home.”
“Thanks.”
“Remember,” Erik warned, “you can’t let anyone know where you are. And you can’t leave here until this is over.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Costain muttered irritably. “But if we don’t hear something soon…” He looked at Daisy, his gaze lingering on the pulse throbbing in the hollow of her throat. “I’ll need something to nibble on.”
Daisy blew out a sigh. “How long do you think it will be before Alex gets an answer to his e-mail?”
Erik shook his head. “I don’t know, and right now, I don’t care.” Lowering his head, he brushed a kiss across Daisy’s lips. “Where would you like to go?”
“I don’t care. Anyplace where we can be alone.”
Grinning, Erik wrapped Daisy in his embrace and then, with an effort of will, he transported the two of them to the balcony of Costain’s primary lair. A wave of his hand unlocked the French doors and he ushered her inside.
“Where are we?” Daisy wandered around the room, thinking she had never seen anything so luxurious. The carpet beneath her feet must have been two inches deep. The furniture was butter-soft black leather. The fireplace was white marble veined with gold.
“This is Costain’s place.”
“You’re not serious?” She glanced at the statue of a golden-haired Madonna standing in one corner, thinking such a thing was an odd decorating choice for a vampire’s lair.
Erik shrugged. “He won’t be using it tonight.”
“But…” Her protest died in her throat when she spied the painting hanging over the fireplace. “Is that a genuine Matisse?”
Erik nodded. Rhys was quite the collector. The floors below were filled with antiques and original masters from the last four centuries, along with Persian carpets and dozens of artifacts that were presumed lost or destroyed.
“I take it your friend is pretty well off financially.”
“You could s
ay that.”
“I guess it’s not surprising. He’s had a long time to save his money.”
Erik chuckled as he drew her into his arms. “Do you want to talk about Rhys all night?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Giving you a tour of the place,” he said with a wicked grin. “Starting here, and ending in the bedroom.”
“That’s a short tour,” Daisy teased.
“That’s all there is to see, except for his office and the view from the balcony.”
Daisy slid her hands up and down Erik’s chest, then rose on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Let’s save those for later.”
“Much later,” Erik agreed as he drew her sweater over her head, revealing a lacy white bra.
Daisy kicked off her sandals and shimmied out of her jeans.
“Beautiful,” Erik murmured as he removed her bra and caressed her out of her bikini briefs. “More than beautiful.”
He undressed quickly, grinning under Daisy’s avid gaze.
Swinging her into his arms, he carried her down a short hallway. A flicker of energy brought a dozen candles to life, revealing the largest, most garish bedroom Daisy had ever seen. She glanced around, somewhat awed by what she saw. The walls were papered in a dark red print. The carpets were the same shade, as were the heavy velvet drapes drawn over the single window. An enormous bed covered with a black spread took up a good portion of the room. A black stone fireplace took up one entire wall; a TV screen took up another wall from floor to ceiling. There were more paintings in this room, all originals, Daisy assumed, and all beautiful. Figurines of varying sizes—all depicting demons, dragons, or vampires stalking their prey—occupied an antique curio cabinet.
“It’s like being in hell’s waiting room,” Daisy murmured.
Erik laughed as he placed her in the center of the bed. “You make it heaven.”
“Flatterer.”
“Have I told you that I love you?”
“Not lately.”
“I love you, Daisy O’Donnell, Blood Thief extraordinaire, with everything that I am, my whole being.”
His words warmed her heart, her soul. “I love you, too, but you know that, don’t you?”
He nodded.
“Is it enough, Erik? Can love be enough for two people who are as different as we are?”
He ran his knuckles up and down her cheek, then cupped her face in his hands. “I don’t know, Daisy darlin’. I hope so.”
She didn’t want to have to think about it now, didn’t want to worry about the past or the future. She wanted only to live for this moment, with his body covering hers, his hands lightly caressing her while he rained kisses over her face, her neck, her breasts.
A soft moan rose in her throat when she felt his fangs lightly scrape the skin along the side of her neck. Threading her fingers through his hair, she drew him closer, her body arching up to meet his as his tongue laved the tender skin beneath her ear. His body melded with hers, stroking lightly, as his fangs pierced her skin.
She folded her hands over his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh as sensation after sensation washed over her. She had heard of two becoming one, but she had never experienced anything like this. It was beyond pleasure, beyond ecstasy. Belatedly, she realized she was also feeling what Erik was feeling, what he was thinking.
She sobbed his name as wave after sensual wave exploded deep within her. A moment later, he shuddered and then, with a sigh, buried his face in her shoulder.
He held her for several minutes while their breathing returned to normal and the perspiration cooled on their flesh. When he would have rolled away, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.
“I’m too heavy for you,” he murmured.
“No.” It was a welcome weight. She smiled inwardly, thinking about what she had learned while they made love. He adored her. He thought she was beautiful, that her skin was baby soft, that her hair was like russet-colored silk, that her blood was sweeter than the finest wine.
“You heard all that, huh?”
“Oh, yes,” she replied. “And more.”
Erik grunted softly. “I’ll have to be careful about what I’m thinking in the future.”
“Did you feel what I was feeling, too?”
“Sure. It goes both ways, you know.”
He eased up onto his elbows and gazed down at her. “I never thought of myself as a hottie.”
“I wasn’t thinking that!”
“No?”
“Well, maybe for a minute.”
He lifted one brow.
“Okay, two minutes, three at the most.”
His laughter washed over her. “Ah, Daisy, my little flower, do you know how much I love you?”
She ran her hands over his shoulders, down his chest to where their bodies were still joined. “How much?”
Leaning down, he kissed the tip of her nose. “More than words can say.”
“Really?” She raked her nails over his chest. “Then I guess you’ll just have to show me.”
“Like this?” Rolling onto his side, he dropped butterfly kisses on her brow, her cheeks, the curve of her throat.
She shivered with delight as he continued his slow assault on her senses, his tongue like a flame as he licked her breasts and belly, then kissed his way down the sensitive skin along the inside of her thigh.
Only when she was writhing in delicious torment did he cover her body with his.
Daisy was hovering on the brink of sleep when her cell phone rang. Rolling onto her side, she reached over the edge of the bed, searching for her handbag. “Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“Alex!” She sat up, suddenly wide awake. “What time is it? Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know what time it is. Four thirty, five. Just get home. And bring the vampire with you.”
“The vampire?” Erik’s deep voice rumbled from the other side of the bed.
Daisy’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice. “Alex wants us to come home,” she told him, and then wondered why she bothered. No doubt Erik had heard every word Alex had said.
“Daisy, you still there?”
“Yes, Alex. What’s going on?”
“I got an answer to that e-mail.”
“Oh! We’ll be there as soon as we can.” Daisy looked at Erik and whispered, “It’ll be light out soon. Will that be a problem for you?”
“Not if you don’t mind my spending the day at your house.”
“I don’t mind,” she said with a mischievous grin. “You can sleep in my bed, like Sleeping Beauty. And I’ll wake you later with a kiss.”
“Very funny.”
“Daisy?”
“Alex, I said we’ll be there as soon as we can.” After disconnecting the call, she looked at the time. “Five fifteen.” The sun would be rising in another hour or so. “What’s he doing up at this time of the morning, anyway?”
“Probably waiting for you to come home,” Erik replied with a wry grin.
Tossing the phone onto the floor, Daisy slid under the covers again. “I hate to leave.”
“Me, too.” Erik stroked her back, loving the warmth of her skin beneath his hand, the little purr of pleasure that rose in her throat at his touch.
Daisy sighed. “I guess we should go.”
“How about a quickie first?”
“But Alex said to hurry.”
“So, we’ll hurry.”
“But not too fast,” Daisy said with a smile.
“No,” Erik agreed, drawing her body against his. “Not too fast.”
Chapter 34
Alex was waiting for them at the front door. “What the hell took you so long to get here?” he asked irritably, and then grimaced as he took in his sister’s tousled hair and swollen lips. “Never mind. I don’t wanna know.”
Shaking his head in disgust, he turned on his heel and stalked into the living room.
“Where’s Rhys?” Erik asked, his gaze
sweeping the room.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know? Dammit, he didn’t go out, did he?”
“No, I think he’s sacked out in Daisy’s closet.”
“My closet!” Daisy exclaimed. “What’s he doing in there?”
Alex shrugged. “He wanted a room without a window.”
“So, he doesn’t know about the e-mail you received?” Erik asked.
“Hell, no! I wasn’t about to wake him up!”
“Probably a wise decision,” Erik said, chuckling. “Let’s go have a look at that e-mail.”
Muttering under his breath, Alex headed for Daisy’s office and sat down at the desk. It took only moments for him to boot up and find the anticipated message.
Daisy stood behind him, reading over his shoulder.
Meet me tonight at the back door
of La Morte Rouge at midnight.
Bring the proof with you.
Come alone.
RD
“Alone?” Daisy said. “No way!”
“He won’t be alone,” Erik said. “I’ll be there with Rhys.”
“And I’ll be there,” Daisy said.
Erik and Alex both said, “No,” at the same time.
“Why not?” Daisy asked. “I’ve got just as big a stake in this—you should pardon the pun—as you do.”
Alex scowled at her.
Erik laughed. “You’re staying home because I said so, and because I have a pretty good idea who’s behind this, and I don’t want you anywhere around when we meet. Got it?”
Daisy glared at him, her hands fisted on her hips. “And if I refuse, what are you going to do, tie me to a chair?”
“Or to the bed,” Erik retorted with a wicked grin.
“Do you think you could keep it down in here? Some of us were trying to sleep.”
Erik glanced over his shoulder as Costain entered the room. “I’ve never known you to turn in before sunrise.”
Rhys snorted softly. “There’s nothing else to do here.” He jerked his chin toward the computer. “So, what’s going on?”
“We got an answer to Alex’s e-mail.”
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