by ERIN BEDFORD
As if waiting for the mention of her, Darren came into the drawing room. “Dinner is ready if you would follow me.”
Valentine stood with the rest of us, but as we moved into the dining room and took our seats, I noticed he didn’t enter with us.
“Rayne,” I grabbed his arm, “Valentine is missing. Can you hear him?”
The redhead stopped and frowned, his eyes moving to the ceiling for a moment. Then his eyes widened, and he was gone before I could ask him what he had heard.
“Where’d Rayne go?” Allister asked as I took my seat beside him.
Picking up my knife and tapping the bottom of it on the table with my anxiety growing, I shook my head. “I don’t know. Trouble.”
“Fuck.” Allister mimicked my head shake. “And here I thought we might get out of this without bloodshed.”
I chuckled at that. “We’re vampires. If there’s not a bit of blood spilled, it isn’t a party.”
Sighing with a sad smile, Allister leaned back in his seat. “Too true.”
I watched the others, waiting to see when Antoine would notice. When he did, he didn’t get up. He didn’t freak out or even stand up. Antoine, ever the calm and poised one, gestured to Darren.
Darren leaned down next to him, his mouth close to Antoine’s ear. The human servant had learned to speak low enough that no one but Antoine’s could hear him, and what he said made Antoine’s lip tick.
With a jerk of his head, Antoine sent Darren on his way. Dinner started as if two of the party weren’t missing and the maid wasn’t in peril.
Who could eat at a time like this?
Chapter 29
Piper
I rushed out of the room, my face flaming and heart pounding. I ignored Darren’s curious eyes and kept my head down as I fast walked through the kitchen.
Running upstairs, I darted into my room, shutting and locking the door behind me. I paced back and forth before my bed, my arms wrapped around myself. The sound of their laughter still echoed in my ears. I shook my head to clear it, but it didn’t work. Moving over to my bed, I found my phone and pulled up my playlist. I plugged my headphones in and blared music in my ears until I couldn’t hear them anymore.
I didn’t care if I never heard again or if my eardrums burst as long as I never had to hear Valentine’s creepy laughter ever again. After a few moments, my head and ears hurt enough that I turned the music off. Chucking my phone onto my bed, I started pacing again, this time a bit more forcefully. My fear had fettered out, and anger replaced it, making me snarl and curse.
If this was Antoine trusting me, then I didn’t want any part of it. I’d rather be kept in the dark and safely hidden behind my locked door than in that room with those monsters. How could he, how could they, just sit there and let them talk about me that way?
“A delicacy, my ass,” I muttered to myself, getting even madder by the minute. I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror and snagged the hat off my head, crumpling it up in my hand before throwing it down. “Fuck you, Valentine. Fuck Antoine. Fuck Rayne.” I stomped my feet with each name, getting more aggressive as I went. “Fuck the twins and specifically fuck Wynn. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!”
Of all of them, I’d thought Wynn would have come to my aid. He was supposed to be a gentleman, and on top of that, we were blood bonded now for however long that lasted. Wynn should have been the first person to stand up for me, to knock Valentine’s overly white fangs out.
I shuddered, my hand clinging to my shoulders.
There was not enough money in the world to ever get me to work in that monster’s house. Even if I didn’t already know about his kink, five minutes with him told me I’d be dead by the end of the day.
I dragged my hands through my hair, not caring if I messed up my curls and then flopped down on the ground. Glaring at the door, I slumped over, my hands falling to either side of me. I felt like a broken wind-up doll, waiting for someone to come and crank me back up. I probably looked it as well.
Would I get fired if I didn’t go back down there? Would they even notice I’m gone? Darren sure noticed, but he had yet to make an appearance to drag me back to the party.
“Probably too busy kissing ass to care,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and beating my feet against the ground for good measure. If I was going to throw a fit, I might as well get it all out now.
After a good five minutes, I took a deep breath, held it, before letting it out all in one go. Standing, I fluffed my dress and searched for my hat. Grimacing at the wrinkled contraption, I tried to smooth it out as best as I could before putting it back on my head.
I turned to the mirror and sighed. A bit disheveled but it’d have to do.
Heading for the door, I muttered to myself, “One more word, I swear. One more question about my virginal status and I’m going to smack someone. Preferably Valentine.”
Throwing the door open, I walked out the door and right into a hard chest. Quickly shutting the door behind me, I moved away from them, muttering an apology. I half bowed for good measure.
“No apology needed.”
At the sound of the voice, my eyes moved up the brass buttons of the pin striped vest and over the sharp chin with a dusting of scruff before locking with light brown eyes crinkled in amusement. Realizing who he was, I jerked my eyes down to his nose.
“Why, hello, Piper. Fancy meeting you here.” Valentine’s smooth voice, no doubt meant to be seductive and perhaps calming, only made my apprehension rise.
I took a step back from him, reaching for the door handle of my room. Then, realizing I was giving him an option to get me cornered, I released the doorknob and cleared my throat. “Hello, Master Valentine. Can I help you with something?”
“Your name is Piper, correct?” One hand was tucked into his pocket while the other one reached out and touched the ends of my hair.
I forced myself not to move. If I didn’t antagonize him, then he would get bored and move on. Giving him my best demure look, I placed one hand over the other and nodded. “Yes. That is correct. Can I be of some assistance?”
Valentine frowned at my tone, and I snickered on the inside. Thought you could catch me off guard, did you? I showed you. Go fall on a stake, you sick fuck.
“Why so shy? You were so forthcoming downstairs.” Valentine took a step toward me, a smirk on his lips. He was in on my game. “Don’t tell me it was for show? Maybe you wanted one of the Durands to come to the rescue? Is that it?”
I smiled even brighter, my fingers curling into my hands until the nails bit into my skin. “Of course not, Master Valentine. I apologize for my earlier behavior. I am still new to your world.”
His smirk slipped a bit, but then he moved even closer until he was just a hair’s breadth away. “Please, call me Valentine. All this master nonsense is so old-fashioned. I’m a modern vampire myself.” His other hand touched my shoulder, and I fought the need to tense up.
“As you wish.” I beamed and then took a step away from him. “If you’ll excuse me, I must return to the party before I am missed.”
I didn’t get more than two steps down the hall before Valentine’s hand latched onto my elbow and jerked me around. Slamming me into his front, his arm locked around my middle like a vice, giving me no chance to escape.
“Come now, don’t leave so soon. We are just getting to know each other.” His words came out as a purr, but there was a sharpness to his voice. I kept my eyes on his throat, refusing to be taken over by his vampire charms.
“I really should get going. Please release me.” I tried my best to keep an even tone and not freak out. No need to excite him further.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t fully in control of my body and so I stiffened as his head lowered. His nose buried in my hair, and he inhaled deeply, a low rumble vibrating through him. I swore I felt something poking me in the stomach.
“Such a pretty little thing. Too bad your owners don’t know the value of someone like you, the immeasurable amount o
f pleasure you could give them.”
I swallowed hard and squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m sure you’re mistaken. I’m not all that remarkable. Just a plain old maid. Nothing more.”
Valentine chuckled and lifted his head, much to my relief. “I’m sure your unappreciative masters have filled your head with such nonsense, but I think I should be the judge of that.” Quicker than I could follow, his hand grabbed hold of the lace collar around my neck and jerked it off. The fabric ripped, and I gasped.
He wasn’t going to bite me, was he?
One moment, I was in Valentine’s embrace, and the next, I was clutched against a familiar chest. With one hand in my hair and the other on my sternum, Rayne’s fingers brushed the curve of my breasts as he held my back tightly against his front.
“Valentine. What are you doing to my maid?” The possessive tone in his voice in usual circumstances would have pissed me off, but right now, I’d take it over Valentine any day.
Valentine's eyes widened a fraction, but then a cool blank expression covered his face. Crossing one arm under the other, he acted like Rayne had simply asked him the time of day. “Nothing for circumstance. She is not claimed. I figured I could take her off your hands.”
Claimed? I bristled at the words, but Rayne’s hand in my hair tightened, warning me to stay quiet. Pinching my lips closed, I lowered my eyes to the ground, forcing myself to act the dutiful servant. God, Rayne was so going to get his when this was all over.
“What makes you think that?” Rayne pressed me closer, his hand moving lower until it settled on my stomach. Against my better judgment, my body reacted to his hands on me. I shifted my legs and took a few shallow breaths. Remember, asshole. Asshole. A chauvinistic pompous assho—
“I don’t see any marks.” Valentine waved a hand in my direction, and I stopped thinking about how Rayne affected me. Did he mean bite marks? There was no way I was schooling my features for that one.
Rayne, however, seemed to be more than prepared for Valentine’s inquiries. He pressed his cheek to the side of my head as a condescending tone filled his voice. “Not everyone goes straight for the jugular, Valentine. There are far more delicious places to mark one’s own.”
God, fuck. Where had that come from? When did the little, redheaded shit learn to seduce like that? He wasn’t even trying to turn me on, and I was ready to collapse on my wobbly knees.
Valentine made a noise in the back of his throat, clearly not believing Rayne. I didn’t know why, I know I sure did.
Rayne figured the same because the hand in my hair whipped my head back and his mouth captured mine. A startled sound came from me, but he swallowed it whole. His tongue assaulted my mouth, dragging my own tongue into his hot cavern. My hands which had been dead at my sides now clutched at his hand on my stomach, my eyes squeezing shut, but I didn’t push him away.
It was for Valentine’s sake, of course, not because Rayne kissed like he was fucking my mouth, leaving me thoroughly breathless and aching by the time he released my mouth. But not before his fang nipped my lip, causing a trail of blood to drip down my chin.
Not meeting my eyes, Rayne licked the blood from my face, teasing the corner of my lips before releasing me completely.
Still not looking at me directly, Rayne turned his gaze back to Valentine. “Satisfied?”
Valentine huffed, a mixture of disappointment and annoyance in that one sound. “Fine. Then find me something else to eat, I’m going to starve in this house.” He spun on his heel and started back for the stairs, only giving me a passing glance over his shoulder as he left.
When Valentine’s footsteps sounded on the stairs, I turned to Rayne, opening my mouth to ask him what the fuck that was, but he shook his head, his eyes staring at the place Valentine had been. “Go wait in my room, Piper. I’ll be there shortly.”
Opening and shutting my mouth like a gaping fish, I began to argue, but then Rayne’s eyes pivoted to mine. There was something in his amber eyes, a warning of some kind that had me swallowing my complaints.
My head bobbed, and I shifted away from him on unsteady legs. “Of course, Master Durand.”
I walked on stiffening legs to his room, my eyes forward and telling myself not to look back no matter how much I wanted to. Rayne had saved me from Valentine’s clutches, but was I really truly safe?
Safe inside of his bedroom, I took my shoes off before climbing onto his bed. There wasn’t anywhere else to sit, and I wasn’t going to sit on the floor. Who knew how long it would take him to show up?
I should have taken that other job. Vampires. Blood bonds. Hot sexy males that have no sense of personal boundaries. Okay, so maybe it went both ways, and maybe it was only a couple of them, but still, I wouldn’t have any of these problems if I had taken the call center job before I had joined the temp agency.
I sat on his bed, my arms around my knees for hours. Rayne never came. I didn’t know when I fell asleep, but when I woke, the sun had risen, and someone had covered me with a blanket. I glanced around the room. There was no Rayne or anyone else in sight, no sign that anyone had come in beside the blanket.
Climbing out of the bed, I folded the blanket and placed it on the bed before heading for the door. I hadn’t locked it, not knowing if Rayne would be able to get in. It was his room after all.
Once the door was opened, I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave. Were they gone? Had Valentine and his whole horrible crew left? Did I want to chance it?
Peeking my head out, I searched for some sign of the visiting vampires, but as the sun was up, I wasn’t surprised to find the hallways empty.
Not leaving it to chance, I ran out of Rayne’s room and down the hallway. I stopped briefly at the balcony overlooking the foyer. No sign of any of them. Even the coats from last night had been picked up off the stair railing.
Heaving out a shaky breath, I moved with more confidence to my room. Once inside, I locked the door tight and went about taking last night’s outfit off. If I never had to wear it again, it would be too soon. Resisting the urge to burn it, I sat it on the nearby chair and climbed into the tub.
Turning the water on scalding, I scrubbed at my skin. I could still feel Valentine’s hands on me. The sickly-sweet scent of his aftershave clung to my form. Even Rayne’s spicy scent didn’t cover Valentine’s.
At the thought of Rayne, my fingers went to my lips. What had he been thinking? What had I been thinking about letting him?
Even more than the chilling charms of Valentine, I remembered Rayne’s possessive hands on my body. His mouth claiming mine. The copper taste of my blood tainting our kiss. Remembering it made me shiver even though the water was so hot that it could burn the flesh from my bones.
I stayed in the shower until the water ran cold and then climbed out. Barely taking the time to dry myself off, I climbed into my bed and drew the covers around me. As my eyes fluttered closed once more, I realized one scary fact.
For all of Rayne’s faults, I’d liked that kiss.
Chapter 30
Piper
After the party, things pretty much went back to normal. Wynn and I flirted around each other, neither one of us daring to take it any further. While in my bedroom, I pretended he was mine.
However, my daydreams had started to shift. It wasn’t just Wynn who whispered sweet nothings to me. More and more, my mind shifted back to that kiss in the hallway with Rayne. I couldn’t get it off my mind or the redhead in question, though I couldn’t say the same for him.
If anything, instead of annoying me beyond measure, Rayne had been avoiding me. If I entered a room, he left it. If I was in a room, he turned back around even if what he wanted was in the same room I was in. It was getting ridiculous.
“What are we, high schoolers?” I muttered to myself as I watched his back retreating from me once more. I had just sat down for dinner when Rayne had come in for his nightly ration of blood. His amber eyes locked with mine, and for a moment I thought he might stay, maybe talk to me, but then
he swallowed visibly and fled the room.
“Master Rayne seems more distracted than usual,” Gretchen commented from the seat next to me. “Did something happen, perhaps?”
Licking my suddenly dry lips, I shook my head. I pulled my eyes away from where he had stood and back to my plate. “I wouldn’t know. I’m just the help.”
Gretchen snorted and exchanged a knowing look with Darren. The two of them knew the masters far better than I did, but if Rayne wasn’t telling about our encounter last weekend, I wasn’t going to be the one to do it.
“I hope you’re being smart.” Darren sat his plate down on the island on the other side of me and then slid into the seat. The warning in his eyes was clear, but I wasn’t taking the bait.
“Of course,” I snapped, stabbing at my food. “I do my job and go to bed. That’s it.”
“What about outside the house?” Gretchen asked, politely. “I’m sure a pretty girl like you has a string of heartbroken men out there just waiting for her to crook her finger their way.”
I barked a laugh. “Sure. Let me just find some time between warding off visiting vampires and cleaning the toilets.” I rolled my eyes.
“You have today off,” Darren reminded me with a frown. “Why didn’t you take that time to have a social life?”
Sighing, I pushed my plate away from me. My appetite had all but vanished. “Yeah, that’d be easy enough. And when they ask what I do for a living, what do I tell them? I don’t think Master Durand would be too happy about my spreading his secrets to the masses.”
Letting out an impatient sound, Darren folded his napkin in his lap. “You tell them you’re a maid which you are.”
“I think it would be healthy for you to find a friend outside of the house,” Gretchen went on as if there were no elephant in the room keeping me from doing just that. “Preferably a male one.” She winked at me, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Fine. Fine.” I stood and pushed back my seat. “I’ll find a boyfriend if that will keep you all happy and off my back. Perhaps you’d like a play by play of our relationship? Maybe a video and an invitation to the wedding?”