The Blood Bride (Blood Secrets)

by Nix, Imogene

  “I will need you to start ordering the beds, furniture and any other equipment for the apartments. They need to be suitable for the members of the nests we will put in each apartment.”

  “Xavier? They won’t be the ones my mother was planning on.” She held her breath waiting for his reply, her stomach knotted.

  “Probably not, but I want you to go through anyway. This should only be a short-term measure, but I want them comfortable for the time they are there.” He smiled, and she relaxed once more. “There are websites and phone numbers for the various suppliers we deal with, at the back of the blueprints. Get them furnished and ready for the members to move into. I would prefer by the end of the week. So, if you have to pay premium, do it. There are lists of order numbers you can use. Just jot down the companies against the items. Furnish each appropriate to whom you have allocated to each unit. If you don’t know what to do, just ask.”

  He looked back to the screen, not dismissively, just letting her know that he had other tasks to complete. “I have some investments to go through and check, and reports to read. Then a couple of phone calls. A few hours should pull us up.”

  As he finished, a knock on the door sounded, and within minutes, a desk, office chair, printer, computer and file trays were in place.

  Hope logged onto the computer and started.

  She swung her head around and was surprised to find Xavier watching her. “What’s up?”

  “I was watching you work. Your concentration is amazing. But that wasn’t why you turned around, was it? Are you feeling okay?” His words were soft, and he peered at her intently.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. But, as I was going through the apartment listings, there is a small, single bedroom one. Do you want me to allocate that to Emily?” He smiled and she warmed inside.

  “That would be perfect in most circumstances, thank you for thinking of Catriona and Emily like that. But no, right now, I am going to have her moved into the manor. We vampires are a conservative lot, but maybe it’s time to do something about that. It is rare to find a same gender relationship, so we don’t automatically think of their needs, but times are changing.” He laughed ruefully.

  “No problems. How do you want me to proceed, then?” Hope’s pen hovered over the pad she had been using for making notations.

  “Hmm, maybe we had better move her stuff immediately. We can have it stored, and she can be moved into Catriona’s suite in the secured zone. How quickly do you think you could organise it?”

  “Well, surmising she is available, we can have her in there tomorrow night. I can send the movers to work during the day, and have your own men move it all tomorrow night.”

  “Do it. I will let Catriona know.”

  She turned back to the screen and completed the request.

  “Send me a memo and I will send it on to Catriona. You do know how to use the interoffice memo system, don’t you?”

  She smiled at the expression on his face. So it had just occurred to him, had it? “Yes, I worked here in the last school holidays before college.” She flicked the memo across to his workstation and went back to her task.

  * * * *

  Tiredness dragged at her and her head throbbed viciously. Even as she fought the drag of sleep, her arm ached. But there was no way she would tell Xavier. One last page of ordering to complete, and she would quietly creep to the bathroom and wash her face. Maybe she would find some painkillers in the bathroom. She snorted silently at the ridiculous thought—painkillers in a vampire’s bathroom.

  He must have seen the slump of her shoulders, or heard one of the sighs she tried to hold in, because the next thing she knew, he spun her chair around, and lifted her into his muscular arms.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Taking you home. I am finished and you, my love, look bushed.”

  “But I still have…” The words trailed away and he grinned.

  “Damon will finish your ordering. The billeting lists you can continue tomorrow night, and Javed will start the move for those you have finalised tonight.” His voice was firm as he carried her down the corridor. He stopped at the reception desk, briefly.

  “Is Emily ready for the move?”

  “Yes, Master Xavier, and the removals people are already there packing up. Thank you again so much…”

  “It wasn’t me. Thank Hope here.”

  Hope squirmed at the glowing look on the woman’s face.

  “Thank you, Miss Hope. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.” Catriona beamed at her.

  In her exhaustion, all Hope could manage was a quiet nod and a smile. She let her eyes close and her head lolled towards Xavier as they started moving again.

  “The car is ready for you downstairs and Javed says he has everything under control.” Catriona’s voice washed over her as the ding of the elevator called as she drowsed in his arms.

  Chapter Six

  Hope slept, and Xavier concluded it was no wonder. With the changes to sleeping routines, the fright and injuries earlier and the shock of finally knowing exactly what she was, it had finally caught up. Not to mention the exertion from the night before. He grinned wolfishly, remembering her uninhibited response.

  He held her close, looking down at her as the elevator came to a stop. The subtle darkening of the emerging bruise on her forehead angered him. He would need to take disciplinary action against James, but that wasn’t urgent right now.

  Finding Estersham and neutralising him was.

  Long strides brought him out of the elevator towards the opening doors and he could see Javed holding the car door wide. Carefully Xavier climbed in, cradling his precious cargo tightly against his chest, so she wasn’t jostled and wakened.

  The door shut and he felt the motion of the car as Javed clambered in. The car engine revved and they were moving.

  He watched her sleep, inhaling her subtle scent, lost in thoughts of how amazing this gentle woman was.

  An explosion snared his attention. The second blast went off, making the car shudder. The intercom buzzed. Hope roused and he reached over to open the communication between himself and the front of the vehicle, pushing hair from her face as he watched her.

  “What’s going on?”

  “One of the cars has been…blown up, we think. The bang, then a black cloud showed at the same time as we lost it on the radar and intercom. We are taking emergency action now.” The vehicle jerked slightly, pushing them back into the seat of the car.

  “What about the others? Have we lost any others?”

  Another explosion had the car slewing to one side. Hope held onto to him tightly, her eyes wide with fright. He held her closely against the shuddering.

  “It looks like another one is gone, Xavier. We are going to have to go to air mode. It will get us off the bridge and give us increased manoeuvrability.”

  A whine rent the air, and the car jerked again. The forces pushed him farther back into the seat as they rose in the air.

  He looked out of the darkened window. Two smoking hulks littered the bridge below, flames licking at the carcasses. Then the vehicle banked sharply. He swore savagely, gripping the door handle. Someone would pay dearly for this.

  “Get into the seatbelt, Hope, then hang on.” He growled the words, and dropped the screen between them and the front of the car.

  She scrabbled at the belt, white-faced, and the rapid bumping of her heartbeat told him she had a fair idea about what had happened. He released the intercom button.

  “Xavier? I have called for back-up. Two more cars are en route and I have requested air support from the government. They are scrambling the mini-jets right now. Their ETA is about three minutes.” The whining of engines made it hard to hear.

  Another loud bang reverberated from below. Something whizzed past the conveyance, as his anger roiled in his gut like an angry pot. It licked and burned, and he had to fight to suppress the urge to attack. He had Hope in the car and her safety was paramount. Nothing would happen to her. He would
n’t let it.

  He watched as the driver and Javed quickly conferred, the sound of screaming engines making it almost impossible for him to hear, even with his vastly superior auditory skills.

  Another bang and they banked again. Javed turned back to him, his eyes wide. “We need to get down. Our stabilisers are damaged, but Christophe thinks he can get us down closer to the centre of the city. Hang tight. It’s going to be close, he says.” The car grew sluggish under the constant onslaught.

  The vehicle dodged and wove up and down. As they got closer to the city, the weaving seemed to settle a little. They dropped slowly, but the vehicle was badly damaged. Smoke now invaded the passenger area.

  He was aware of Hope, quiet but obviously terrified, and he pulled her tight against him, while she twined her fingers with his, seeking comfort.

  Her human frame was infinitely more fragile than his, and he kept her close by his side, in case he needed to act as a buffer between Hope and a hard landing.

  He watched the ground rushing up to meet them. His grip on Hope tightened. She shook. He wanted to tell her it would be all right, but he wouldn’t lie. It could still go very wrong. So he held her tight, and watched the drop slowing, but not enough.

  “Hold on. It’s going to be a hard landing.” Javed’s voice rang through the cabin, as Xavier curled his body around Hope, covering her head as the car around them exploded.

  * * * *

  Hope opened her eyes and the smell of burning rubber filled her senses. Her arm and leg hurt and something heavy lay across her. Xavier.

  “Xavier? Wake up, Xavier. Something is burning and we have to get out of here.” She didn’t know what it was, but the instinct to hurry was something she couldn’t ignore.

  He groaned, and she pushed ineffectually with one arm. The other she couldn’t use easily, and the pain that rushed through her sucked the breath from her body.

  “Come on, Xavier. Wake up.” He groaned again, as if in response to her harried words. He opened his eyes, slowly, and she pushed again. “Xavier, we have to get out.” An edge of hysteria coloured her words, as big greasy waves of fear tumbled around in her stomach. He blinked once then again. Xavier moved to the side and a weight lifted off her leg. He clambered to his knees.

  “Oh, God. Shit. You’re hurt.” The words grated out as he reached towards her. A trickle of blood snaked down the side of his head, but he ignored it as he looked around.

  The door buckled inwards, the dark colours of the upholstery pushed out of shape and filling the area around them. It was hard to move without knocking something. She tried to stay still as the screaming pain in her leg consumed her.

  Xavier pushed on the twisted metal. It gave with a groan, opening slightly. Hope watched as he pushed again. It gave a little more. He turned his back to it, looking at her with an unspoken question. Hope nodded. She was still with him. She waited as he turned back to face the door once more. His movements were jerky and awkward, yet he gave one last tremendous heave. With a groan it gave and light spilt into the wreckage of the vehicle, as did more smoke.

  Xavier reached for her, carefully lifting her in the cramped conditions close against him. She cried out. The pain left her wanting to retch. Bent over nearly double as he covered her protectively, he pushed his way through the misshapen opening. He headed towards the sidewalk, scanning the area before laying her down on the concrete. Tears dribbled down her dirty cheeks, and he wiped them away with care, leaving smears on her face.

  “Where are Javed and Christophe?” Hope said between coughs as smoke filled her lungs.

  “I don’t know, but I have to see if they got out.” He straightened, and she could see the tattered remains of his clothing. Cuts and scratches oozed and the grazes on his face worried her as billowing grey clouds covered him, hiding the damaged skin from her view. “Will you be all right for a moment?”

  She nodded and he moved back to the vehicle. She couldn’t see, as the dark fog became increasingly dense. She coughed again. Her ribs ached from the involuntary action. She flung her good arm around her chest, seeking some surcease from the throb.

  Then she spied it. Red and yellow flames, dancing through the smoke, then she knew they were in more trouble.

  Fire.

  “Xavier! Xavier!” The blackness grew larger in the sooty haze, as the flames grew, and licked at the back of the vehicle. “Xavier! The car is on fire!”

  She screamed to him as he emerged, Javed in his arms and a grim, pained look on his face. Blood ran down his cheeks and a gash on his forehead was laid open to the bone. Her stomach churned and roiled, and she fought to contain the nausea. “We have to get out of here. The car is on fire.”

  “I can’t put him down, but we have to get you out of here to safety.” The anguish in his eyes tore at her.

  The sound of rushing feet came from beyond the smoke. “Damn it!” Xavier placed Javed next to her quickly and turned. His eyes flashed red and teeth descended—ready to fight.

  Hope wanted to cry, to scream, to rage against the fates—for not only putting them in this life threatening position—but also for hurting Xavier. Bodies took form in the smoke, surrounding them.

  The noise was hideous. The black smoke choked, while the leaping flames licked at them from the wrecked vehicle. A feral sound escaped from Xavier, just as the licking of the flames seemed to ratchet up. The heat generated by the fire made her skin feel like it was shrivelling against her bones. Fear left her shaking.

  Hope grabbed Javed with her good arm, bringing his supine body closer to hers. She looked around for somewhere to hide, but the billowing cloud of black hid everything from view.

  She coughed, chest screaming as the paroxysm continued. This isn’t how it was supposed to end! The words echoed in her mind and her eyes burned. Dear God! And Xavier? What would happen to him? She felt the trickle of tears, scalding hot running down her face. She focused on Xavier’s taut back, and suddenly noticed the tension drained away from his posture.

  The outlines took form. Her breath fled, as finally they were revealed—other vampires from the nest. But the fire was still too close, and where was Christophe? “Xavier? Where is Christophe?”

  He turned, and she could see the naked grief on his face. He shook his head and looked away—back towards the others.

  Pain lanced through her heart and he turned away from the comfort she could offer. There was no time to contemplate their situation. Not now. They still had to survive this inferno. She thrust the hurt aside as they moved swiftly. One picked up Javed carefully, pulling him from her grasp, and Xavier leant back towards her. He bent with a small groan of pain and slid his hands underneath her, careful not to further injure the limp arm or the leg.

  “Xavier. No. You’re injured.” She held on, though, not wanting to hurt him anymore. She fixed her gaze on his face, but cast a last look at the fire, before closing her eyes.

  Red-hot pokers of pain shafted through her each time she coughed. She bit back the cries of discomfort, knowing all they would do was torment Xavier with the knowledge of the injuries she had sustained.

  They moved through the shadowy gloom of smoke, and towards the night. The smoke choked her and stung her screaming eyes. But the strength of Xavier holding her tight against his body reminded her that they would get through this. She tried to think how long they had been under attack then waiting. It had felt like forever, yet instinct told her everything had happened within a very short time. Long minutes passed, ones she would never forget.

  They emerged from the smoke. The side of a building was just beyond them, when a rumbling sound started. Xavier started to run, as did the others around them, and this time the jostling grabbed her breath, seared her from within, and the grey she had kept at bay seeped into her vision as she fainted.

  * * * *

  A sense of weightlessness and dim conversations interrupted the nothingness. Movement and people talking impinged then floated away. Lights flickered briefly before darkness
descended.

  She wanted to sleep, but something woke her again, with touches and probing.

  His voice guided her through the darkness. Xavier’s voice. It wove through the dreams, sometimes distressed and other times startlingly angry. She reached towards the voice. It pulled at her.

  She woke.

  Eyes opened into the light. A dim glow shone in the room. She was back in her bedroom in the secured quarters. She mentally catalogued her injuries.

  Her arm ached, but while it pained her to move it, she realised that now she had motion once more. Her leg and chest still hurt, along with other aches and pains, though the agony in her chest had settled to a dull ache, except when she coughed. At least the vicious stabbing was gone. Her leg seemed unresponsive—still aching, but immobile.

  “How did I get here?” The words rasped from between chafed lips. It sure didn’t sound like her voice, and her throat burned.

  “You’re awake.” Xavier leaned in, and she grimaced at the grey tone to his skin.

  He smiled, and ran an unsteady hand over her forehead. She watched him, as the lines of tension smoothed out of his face. “Do you remember the accident?” His words were soft.

  “Yes. How is Javed?” She moved, no more than a small jerk, but she hissed as the pain hit again. The last sight she had had of the swarthy guard was him in the arms of another, and she certainly had no memory of him regaining consciousness.

  “He will be fine. He woke earlier and has been fed. By tomorrow he will be as good as new. You, on the other hand, dislocated your shoulder, broke your leg and suffered extensive bruising to your chest and ribs.” Xavier lowered himself until he perched on the edge of the bed. His eyes closed, and when he opened them again they gleamed. “You should never have been hurt.” The gentle words filled the hollow space in her chest.

  Hope raised her arm. It ached, but she could now at least use it. She touched his face lightly, letting her fingers still on his skin. “It’s okay, Xavier. You did everything you could. You shouldn’t be angry at yourself. You didn’t drive me into danger.”