A second later, they came crashing through the front window. Glass shattered and people ran. Calliope moved to stand in front of me and Rose started shouting for everyone to go out the back door.
Garrett growled, but Darius stood and stared at me over Calliope’s shoulder, ignoring the menacing rumble. His purple eyes sliced straight to my soul. Terror laced its way through my body, clamping down on my lungs and making it difficult to breathe.
“I’ll get you, bitch. Just you wait. They can’t watch you every second of the day.” His voice was cold. Angry.
I gasped a breath and took a step backward, bumping into the table behind me. Trapped.
Another barreling charge from Garrett sent Darius flying. Unable to teleport, he hit the ground with a thud and scrambled to his feet.
“Damn spells!” He snarled, leaping for the opening.
Garrett caught his leg before he got through and tugged him back to the floor. He threw a few punches before Darius heaved him off, sending Garrett crashing into several tables, splintering them into a thousand pieces on impact and sending their contents straight at me and Calliope, hitting us both.
A glass hit her in the face and she hissed, jumping at Darius with a roar unlike anything I’d heard before. Her cry reverberated around the room and made my head ache.
Rose stepped forward before Calliope reached the Djinn and laid a hand on his shoulder. She started chanting something I couldn’t make out and he screamed like she’d stuck him with a hot poker.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Garrett get up and run straight for Darius again.
Time stretched out, moving slower. Voices became indistinct and delayed. I sucked in a deep breath and moaned in pain. Then I heard the strangest sound and turned my attention back to Rose and the Djinn. My vision was blurry, but I could tell he was laughing now, not screaming.
I squinted, trying to focus. An evil smile spread across his face. He shoved Rose to the ground and looked at me again.
“I like the color red on you.”
Nausea crept over me, and bile rose into my mouth. Then something else did. Coppery, metallic liquid gurgled up into my mouth and ran between my lips. I coughed and pain radiated from my stomach. Looking down, I could see the handle of a steak knife protruding from my upper abdomen. The front of my dress was wet and stained.
Wet with my blood.
When I looked up again, Darius leapt out the window and everyone else turned to stare at me. Black spots invaded my vision as the world began spinning. Forms rushed at me and their voices became nothing more than a loud roar in my head.
The Djinn was gone.
It was over.
Was I dying?
People were still shouting all around me. My head throbbed and then a fiery burst of pain made me attempt a scream, but all I managed was a gurgled moan. The pain was quickly followed by pressure on my stomach. It took a few moments, but my mind finally registered that they’d probably removed the knife.
All I wanted was Erick. I wanted his quiet. His comfort. His way of making me feel like I was the most important person in his world. If I was dying, I wanted to be with him when I breathed my last.
Seconds later, a rush of air stirred around me just before familiar male arms scooped me up off the floor.
He cradled my head and pressed his face to mine.
I breathed in his sweet scent. He was speaking, but I still couldn’t make anything out. The world around me was cold and fuzzy. A moment later, his wrist was pressed against my lips. I knew what he wanted and I did my best to swallow, but there was so much blood in my mouth, I couldn’t tell what was mine and what was his.
Then everything went black.
I opened my eyes and stared up at a white, coffered ceiling. Sitting up straight, I gasped for breath and rubbed my stomach, feeling for a bandage.
Nothing was there.
Nothing hurt.
Had I imagined the whole thing? Was it all a dream?
I wasn’t wearing the blue dress anymore, just a t-shirt and panties.
I scanned the semi-lit room. Only one lamp on the dresser across the room was on. A new digital clock next to it read eight thirty. The last thing I remembered was dropping to the floor of the diner with a knife in my stomach at lunchtime.
I rolled to the edge of the bed and slid my feet to the carpet. Then hurried into the bathroom, flipping on the light as I went through the door.
Stopping in front of the mirror, I pulled up the t-shirt.
My mouth went dry. No wound. Not even a scar from the knife. On top of that, several other older scars were nearly gone. The dark pink, raised, whip lines that had crisscrossed my body for four years were smooth and white. Some were gone completely.
It had all happened.
The fight. The diner. The knife. Erick had fed me his blood. I vaguely remembered that. I looked at my bare stomach in the mirror again. How much blood had he fed me to heal this much? It didn’t matter now. I was alive and apparently in much better shape than I had been before the incident. Talk about a well-kept secret. The medical community would lose their shit if they knew how powerful vampire blood was.
I caught sight of a wad of blue fabric in his tub. It was the dress I’d been wearing earlier. It was completely clean, thanks to Calliope’s spell. I draped it over my arm, scanning the dress. A small inch-long slice in the front near the bust-line still remained from where the knife had entered.
Voices rumbled from below, pulling me out of my state of shock. At first it sounded like Erick might be on the phone, but the deep rumble of other male voices soon mixed with his. It sounded like the two dragon brothers again. They seemed to be a tight little trio, merely adding to my discomfort since they ran the Castle. Sooner or later, I’d have to face that can of worms. I certainly hoped it would be later.
Dropping the dress back into the tub, I scanned the bathroom for something to wear. I wasn’t putting that dress back on again … ever, but I wasn’t about to walk downstairs in a t-shirt and panties in front of company, either. Walking to the closet, I pulled open both doors and took a breath. There had to be something. He’d mentioned robes. Sure enough, a white robe hung on a hook just inside.
I stepped forward, reaching up to pull it down and stubbed my toe on a heavy canvas bag. “Shit.” I jumped back, grabbing for the throbbing toe. The robe slipped from the hook and fell in front of me, covering the offending bag. I landed on the floor next to it and snatched up the robe. Heaving a sigh, I stood and threw it around my shoulders, tying the band around my waist.
The bag was open and a pink strap lay across the top. Curiosity got the better of me and I knelt back down. I pulled out the pink strap, which was connected to a tangle of other straps and a … dildo. I dropped it back in the bag and pulled the zipper open further. My hands trembled. A large bullwhip lay coiled on top of several other items Kevin used to use on me regularly—paddle, crop, and a gag.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
How could I have been so stupid? Erick had been lying to me this whole time. He wanted to tie me up and beat me, too. Why else would he have this bag of stuff?
My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty. I took a deep gulp of air, but nothing would stop the trembling of my body. Had it been his plan all along? Were his dragon pals in on it, too? He’d said he wouldn’t share me though … but how could I trust anything he’d ever said now?
I shut the closet doors and glanced up at the mirror.
The whole town knew him. Calliope, Rose, Raven, Maven—surely they would have said something. I’d believed them all when they said they wanted to protect me. They had to have known what he was like. What he liked … He knew how much those things frightened me.
My heart still screamed that I could trust him, but my head knew I was being foolish. No one kept a bag like that without planning to use it.
Was I condemning him for something he used to do? Maybe he hadn’t lied to me. Maybe I was just lying to myself.
Walki
ng from the bathroom, I padded quietly across the room to the partially open doorway, pausing to listen.
“You can’t possibly think you’ll be happy. You are a Dom, Erick. There’s no getting around that fact.” It was Eli’s gravelly voice telling Erick I wasn’t the right girl for him. “It’s not fair to either of you. She’d be better off with Jav—.”
“She’ll be better off with me because I care about her,” Erick snapped back at him. “Javier can go to hell. He’d use her and then put her aside a week later. He’s a jackass.”
Eli grunted but didn’t speak any intelligible words.
“You won’t be satisfied.” Miles’ voice added, echoing his brother’s sentiments. My heart sank. Apparently Erick really was more interested in kink than he had led me to believe, though he was putting up a pretty good fight on my behalf.
“I don’t give a shit if I never pick up a whip again. Or if I never use another set of cuffs. Being a Dom isn’t about the things you use, and you both know it.”
The dragons grumbled something I couldn’t quite understand.
“We understand, Erick,” Eli continued. “But we can’t help feeling a little skeptical at the idea of not using restraints or pain … ever. But you are right. It is not about the power we hold, but the power a sub offers us.”
Sub? Offered power? That didn’t sound like any of the crap Kevin spouted while he held me captive and tortured me. Still, the dragons sounded like they were in favor of pain. Who would volunteer to be beaten by two men at the same time?
I leaned against the door and it creaked. The men below silenced and Erick was in front of me in an instant.
“I thought you still slept, min kjaereste.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek.
His candy-sweet scent filled my lungs and I momentarily forgot the confusion swirling in my brain. I leaned against him as he wrapped his long arms around my body and nuzzled my neck. His very touch brought me peace. How could I think he would also bring pain?
He pulled back suddenly. “What’s wrong?”
I stiffened in his arms. “I … you all sound so angry.” What was I supposed to say? I found your bag of torture items in the closet. Did you plan to use them on me?
“We’re not angry, Bailey. Just loud. ” Eli shouted from below in the living room. “Please forgive our insensitive conversation.”
A snarl cut off Eli’s apology and I couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped. Miles’ disgust for his brother’s politeness was obvious.
No matter how freaked out I was, these men truly acted as if they were just oversized boys.
“You’re laughing.” Erick lifted my chin so our gazes met.
“I don’t understand, either. Those two guys scare the crap out of me, but they are funny when they are together. Miles is so gruff and Eli is so polite and they can’t stand each other for it.”
A chuckle rolled up from Erick’s chest. His lips curved into a smile that showed in his bright, blue eyes. So beautiful. I almost wished I hadn’t seen the bag and didn’t know what he really wanted from me.
He took a deep breath and I saw the ring of scarlet red appear around his blue irises. Hunger. Desire. Need. They all swirled in his gaze, making it even easier to forget what I knew and pretend I was still in heaven with a man who adored me and would never hurt me.
But, I couldn’t. And there was no heaven for me. No matter how badly I wanted it. And I did want it. The wetness between my thighs validated my desires.
“There will be time for us to play later, kjaere. I promise. First, come eat. You missed your evening meal. I don’t want you feeling weak.”
“Especially since you are feeling hungry,” I threw back, trying to mask my anxiety. I knew he could probably still smell it, but I could at least try to hide it.
He flashed a wicked grin, making my insides melt and the self-cleaning panties work overtime. I was crazy about him, but scared what he wanted from me would be more than I could give.
He took my hand and led me down the stairs. “You can both leave now,” he said as we stepped off the last stair. “I think she’s heard quite enough.”
Eli stepped forward first. “We were—.” He paused, licking his lips and giving me a once over that would’ve made the boldest whore blush.
I pulled the robe tighter.
“Leaving.” He snapped his jaw shut, grabbed his brother by the shoulder, and hauled them both through the door. Miles grumbled until the door shut behind them and I turned, glancing up to Erick.
His eyes were darker and the red ring around the iris was bright.
“Was he okay?”
“Yes, that was just Eli making a smart choice.” Erick chuckled. “Now, let’s get you something to eat before I strip you right here where you stand.” His smiled faded and he cocked his head to the side. “Something is still bothering you … how much did you hear at the top of the stairs?”
“Enough to know that you probably want to use that bag up in your closet.” There. I’d just thrown it out into the open. Until seeing that bag, I thought Erick had been honest with me. I wanted that back. I wanted him to tell me it was a mistake. That he hadn’t used that stuff in years and didn’t care if he ever did again.
A snarl tore from his throat and his fangs descended. Then he sighed and sank down onto the couch, letting his head rest in his hands. He stayed like that for several minutes and I just stood … waiting.
Regret surged through me. I’d just ruined the best thing I’d had going for me. I wanted him. I was pretty sure I loved him. But I was terrified of what he might want from me. Being beaten in the name of affection was not something I could go through again.
He would end it before he would hurt me. I knew it in my heart. All that was left was to say goodbye. “I’m sure Calliope or Rose can find me somewhere else in town to stay.”
Another snarl came from his chest. His blue eyes flashed completely red, power radiating from him like heat from a furnace. “No! You are mine.”
Instead of being scared, like I should’ve been, I recognized his outburst as raw pain. The agony in his voice over the thought of losing me, pulled at my heart. I wanted to be his. I liked belonging to him. I wanted him to strip me naked right there and take me. I wanted to forget about everything else and just be with him, but I couldn’t.
“I can’t be yours if that bag is what you want.”
“I don’t care about the fucking bag, Bailey. Didn’t you hear me tell Miles that? I want you, no matter what.”
“But he said you’re a Dom. Doesn’t that mean—?”
“It means a lot of things. Things you don’t understand. Things that your ex didn’t understand. He was an abusive asshole who used objects to hurt you.”
“Those things are what hurt me!”
“No, he hurt you. The whip didn’t get up of its own accord and hit you. He hit you.”
“I don’t want to like those things, Erick. I don’t ever want to see or feel whips or cuffs again. The thought of them makes my skin crawl and my stomach heave. It’s bad enough there’s a club literally down the street, run by your friends.” This conversation was going somewhere I’d been afraid to go with him since I found out about the Castle. Found out he was friends with the two men who ran it. Saw how familiar the Sisters were with him when we visited the other day. “You’ll miss it. If you settle for me.”
“Bailey,” he answered. “I’m not settling. If I never do another scene, it won’t matter as long as you are happy. But …”
Here it was. The catch.
“I will be very honest with you. I want to work through some play scenes to help eliminate your anxiety. You shouldn’t fear objects. It is only the people behind the objects that hold the true power.”
A tear rolled down my cheek. Why was he asking me this? I just said I couldn’t do it. “I can’t.”
“Do you trust me?”
I did. “Yes, but—”
He grabbed my hand and tugged me to his lap. “No pain, kj
aere. Not even the slightest pinch unless you ask me for it. I give you my word.”
Then what was the point? Isn’t that what the kink was about? Pain? Taking pleasure in hurting the person you had power over? “But … I don’t get it. What could we do that wouldn’t hurt? Everything Kevin ever did hurt.” A lot. I had the scars and healed broken bones to prove it.
Erick’s arms gently squeezed me tighter and he kissed the top of my head again. “I’ll kill him, kjaere. When I see him. I’ll rip out his heart while it still beats and feed it to him.”
I didn’t consider myself a mean person. Or cruel and vengeful. But the picture Erick had just painted filled me with a strange sense of calm. I wanted Kevin dead. I’d wanted it the second I decided to leave that bus station with Erick. It was the only way my torture would end. The only way I could move forward from the horrors of my past and have any kind of future.
He was right. I shouldn’t have to live in fear of objects. When he spelled it out that way, I could see it for the crazy it was. But letting those particular objects anywhere near my body was still going to be astronomically hard. I trusted Erick to keep me safe and not to break his word, but I would be trapped. There was no recourse once the chains went on. Mercy was something I’d cried for and hoped to get from Kevin, but never did. Everything inside me said not to give a man that much power willingly again.
I’d learned the hard way that life had no guarantees.
“These activities … would they happen here or at the Castle?”
“It needs to be there. You fear it because of what it is.”
“Would I be chained?”
“No.”
“We’re not going to have sex in front of anyone, right?”
“No.” He spoke slowly. “Unless you ask for that.”
Unless I ask. Wow. Most of me was terrified, but there was this little corner of my brain that wanted to know what he thought he could do to get me past my fears. And part of me wanted to get past them.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course.” He kissed me softly and a low moan rumbled in his throat, almost like the purr of a lion. Pleasure sparked through my body as he ran one of his hands up my thigh. Then he jerked back and shook his head, like he was trying to wake from a trance. “I promised to feed you. Be right back.” He set me on the cushion next to him and got up.
Sanctuary, Texas Complete Series Box Set Page 17