Protected by the Vampires

by ERIN BEDFORD

  Chapter 20

  Piper

  They thought they were being sneaky, those silly vampires, but they weren't being sneaky at all. I knew what they were doing. They were trying to distract me.

  It wasn't going to work.

  Drake spun me around the floor and then dipped me. Okay, so it was working a little bit. Still, I wasn't stupid. I could see the way they were making eyes at each other and whispering. I might not be able to hear them, but I knew someone with a secret when I saw them.

  Plus, there was the way Wynn and Rayne were acting earlier. Men didn't get all lovey-dovey like that unless they were planning on doing something that was going to get them in trouble. Since the only thing they could be planning was killing Valentine, I was beyond pissed.

  "I know what you're doing," I murmured to Drake, as he pulled me close for a slow dance.

  "Oh yeah?" Drake arched a brow, squeezing his arms around me a bit tighter. "‘Cause I thought I was dancing with the hottest woman in the room."

  I rolled my eyes, but grinned nonetheless. "Yes, but I know why you're dancing with me."

  "Again..." His eyes slid up and down my red dress, desire clear in his gaze. "Not a mystery there."

  I shook my head and smacked his chest. "No, and stop trying to distract me." Clearing my throat and getting serious, I glanced over to where the others stood off to the side. "You guys are planning something and don't want me in it."

  Drake stiffened slightly, but then gave me a lopsided grin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Yes, you do." I gritted my teeth, and then jerked my head toward where Wynn and Antoine had reappeared. No one else might have noticed them disappearing out the terrace door just moments after Valentine, but I sure as hell did. Plus, their clothes were wrinkled. "You aren't as smooth as you guys think you are, and I'm frankly a bit hurt you wouldn't include me."

  "Piper," Drake warned, shaking his head. "This isn't the place. We'll talk about it later."

  Getting irritated, I pushed away from Drake. "It's always later and then later never comes. I'm tired of being treated like this." I walked away from the dance floor and toward the exit.

  Stomping into the hallway, I bypassed several vampires that gave me more than a curious look. It made me slow and rethink leaving the party. Unfortunately, that gave Drake time to catch up with me. "Like what?" Drake asked, grabbing my hand. "What have we been doing that's so bad?"

  I snatched my hand back and growled, "Like I'm just the help."

  Just as Rayne and Allister came out of the ballroom as well, Drake stated, "You are the help."

  I gaped at Drake and huffed. "Well, you pay me to clean your house. Not to fuck you, so the lot of you can go hop on a stake and be done with it."

  Spinning on my heel, I marched away from them and turned a corner. Knowing it was stupid to run around a mansion full of vampires, I stopped there and listened.

  Someone smacked Drake, who cried out in annoyance, and then Allister snarled, "Way to go, dumbass. I don't know how you ever get laid."

  "Shouldn't we go after her?" Rayne inquired, making my heart swell. I tried to keep my thoughts clear, not wanting him to know where I was. It was bad enough he read them on accident, I didn't need him reading them when I was trying to make a statement.

  It was ridiculous really. I was a grown woman and yes, they paid me to clean their house, but they didn't pay me to like them or have sex with them. And okay, so I wasn't having sex with Drake, but the point still applied. I might, probably, eventually, sleep with Drake, so if that was going to happen, then he had to treat me with the respect I deserved and not like someone he could just use and keep in the dark. Especially when it came to getting retribution for myself.

  "Nah, she'll be alright," Drake answered Rayne, pulling my interest. "Everyone's inside the ballroom and besides, Valentine's not going to be a problem anymore. Not for anyone."

  What? Did they already do it? Was Valentine gone? A part of me was sick and elated at the same time. Sick because that meant they had killed him, and elated because, well, he was dead. He'd never terrorize me or anyone else ever again. I didn't think I would ever be so happy to hear about someone's death in my life.

  Grinning from ear to ear, I stepped out from the corner intent on confronting the guys again, but they were gone. Figuring they probably went back inside the ballroom, I started back toward the doors but then stopped. Did I really want to go back in there? Could I pretend I didn't know anything? That Valentine was still going to show up at any moment? And what if there was another mind reader like Rayne in there?

  No, I didn't think I could do it. This was one of the most liberating moments of my life. I couldn't keep it inside.

  Pulling my lower lip into my mouth, I spun around and headed toward the kitchen. I'd surprise Antoine in his room. I was sure it was him and Wynn who had done the deed. I didn't think they liked each other enough to celebrate together, so I'd thank Antoine first, and then find Wynn and thank him. But first, I needed champagne. This was a night to rejoice and I planned on getting completely intoxicated while doing it.

  Holding up my skirts, I walked through the halls and kept my eyes forward as I passed other vampires. I hoped that if they saw the bite on my neck and I didn't engage them, they'd leave me alone. Valentine hadn't been that interested in me until the others showed they were protective of me. I assumed that had more to do with their previous issues than me. I wasn't that hot of a commodity. I was sure over the years they had more than their fair share of women. I was a dime a dozen in the grand scheme of things.

  "Well, aren't you precious," someone purred, before a hand grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around. Theresa stood behind me with a glass of what I assumed was blood in one hand. She had chosen another slinky gown that clung to her figure and made her boobs look great. I wasn't jealous at all. Do I sound jealous? ‘Cause I'm not.

  Her dark curls were pulled to the side so that most of them cascaded around her face and neck. If I wasn't sure that Wynn belonged to me, I'd be worried for our relationship. Instead, I was more worried about the way she was looking at me.

  "Good evening, Theresa." I pasted on a pleasant smile. Maybe if I was nice to her, she would go away. "You look lovely. I love your dress."

  Theresa arched a brow and sipped from her glass. The blood that lined the rim from where she drank made me queasy. "Really? I was rather more taken with yours. So, much color. It makes me..." Her eyes moved over my red dress and she sighed before smiling. "Hungry."

  "Oh?" I glanced down at it, chuckling nervously. "The masters picked it out. I didn't think much about the color at the time. It's a bit much for what I'm used to."

  Nodding in understanding, Theresa pouted her lips. "Of course not. A little peasant human like you wouldn't know the finer things in life if it bit them in their little ass. But boys sure do like to dress up their toys." She reached out and played with the lace of my sleeve. "And that's all you are, you know? A toy for them to play with and discard whenever they please."

  I swallowed and lifted my chin. "I'm bound to Antoine now. It'd be a bit hard to get rid of me."

  Giving a throaty laugh, Theresa gave me a pitying look as her hand wrapped around my forearm. "Oh, you poor dear. Bindings can be broken when enough pressure is applied."

  I gasped as her hand squeezed my arm until I cried out. I tried to pull away, and my knees crumbed beneath me as she continued to squeeze. A sharp, agonizing pain followed by a snapping of bones had the edges of my vision darkening.

  "Poor humans, so fragile. So easily broken." Her smug, smiling face was the last thing I saw before my eyes closed. "Nighty, nighty, Piper Billings."

  Chapter 21

  Antoine

  My eyes stayed locked on our master where he was chitchatting with one of the particularly annoying guests. He didn't seem to know anything, but that didn't mean someone hadn't told him. Our master liked to bide his time and wait for the most opportune moment to strike. Usually, whe
n you had your pants around your ankles and your cock out.

  I grimaced and took a drink of my blood. I moved it around in mouth, not liking the taste of it. There's no way this was fresh. It had to be from blood bags. Old blood bags, for that matter. I guess I wasn't the favorite anymore if I didn't even deserve the good stuff.

  Sighing, I placed my glass on a passing tray. Rayne and the twins came back into the ballroom without Piper. This couldn't be good.

  "Where is she?" I arched a brow, searching for an explanation.

  Drake scratched the back of his ear. "Well, we thought it was a good idea to let her cool off."

  I laced my fingers in front of me, glancing between the three of them. "And why, pray tell, did she need to cool off?"

  Allister and Rayne stared pointedly at Drake before Allister crossed his arms and scoffed, "Why don't you ask this jerkwad? It's his fault."

  "What?" Drake held his hands out in front of him. "It was true. What was I supposed to say?"

  "You were supposed to say, ‘no, of course not, we trust you completely,’ you dumbass," Rayne growled and swiped at Drake, but he ducked just in time.

  I shook my head in disappointment. "This is not the time or place to be squabbling. I don't care what you said to piss her off, go find her. Just because the problem has been taken care of doesn't mean it's any safer for her. Especially right now."

  Drake groaned and threw his hands up in the air. "Fine. I'll go hunt her down." He started to walk around, but then grabbed his brother by the arm. "Come on."

  "Why do I have to go?" Allister complained, but followed his brother anyway. "You're the one who let her leave."

  "I didn't hear you stopping her," Drake argued.

  I massaged the bridge of my nose. I was immortal, impervious to sickness, and still, my brothers gave me raging migraines on a regular basis. How was that even possible?

  "Where are they going?" Wynn stopped next to me, holding his own glass of blood. He'd been off making sure everyone saw him here, so we had an alibi if it came down to it.

  "The dumbasses let Piper go off on her own." Rayne made a rude sound in his throat and shook his head. "They better find her before something happens to her. I'm going to be pissed if I don't get to see that sexy lingerie you fucked her in."

  I arched my brow, turning to Wynn. "You had sex with Piper?"

  Instead of grinning like a satisfied man, Wynn glared at Rayne. "Yes, and it was lovely."

  Rayne smiled even wider, reaching out and bumping Wynn's shoulder. "Don't be coy, Wynn. Tell him how it happened. I'm sure Antoine would be thrilled to hear it."

  "No," Wynn countered, pushing Rayne's hand away. "He would not. Now drop it. Before I make you."

  Frowning, Rayne shrugged. "Fine. I just thought that Antoine should know who has been defiling our girl in his bed."

  "You fucking cad," Wynn snarled, stepping so close to him their noses brushed. "I will end you."

  I should have been surprised, but I just wasn't. It wasn't even the first time Wynn had done it. The fact that he did it with Piper, though, did make me mad. Not because they had sex, but because he used her to rub it in my face the way he did all the past lovers we'd shared.

  "When Piper comes back, you need to apologize," I told Wynn, stopping his stare down with Rayne. "Disrespecting me is one thing, but you disrespected her by making your first time a pissing contest."

  Rayne adjusted his suit jacket and jeered, "Yeah, what he said."

  "Rayne." I warned with a sigh. "Not the time."

  Wynn jerked his gaze away from Rayne and then locked it onto me. As he stared at me, his facial expression changed, and for once in his goddamned life, Wynn looked regretful. "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, but in my defense..." He smirked as he stared off into the distance. "She looked so fuckable then. You're going to love it. She's wearing these thigh highs that attach to garters and her panties were—"

  "Piper's gone." Drake suddenly appeared next to me with Allister. "We followed her scent until it disappeared somewhere down the hallway and couldn't find her anywhere."

  "Did you check the bedrooms?" I asked, panic trying to creep in. I pushed it down and tried to remain calm in the face of so many watchful eyes.

  "Yes." Allister nodded. "All of them. And the library. And the garden."

  "And the drawing room. She's nowhere." Drake dragged a hand over his face and growled. "Fuck, this is my fault. I shouldn't have let her leave."

  "No, you shouldn't have," I scolded, as my eyes searched the crowd for our master. When they landed on him, my blood ran cold. He met my gaze with a triumphant smirk as he lifted his wine glass full of blood in the air.

  "I know who has her," I announced, before pushing through them. I stalked across the ballroom and over the dance floor until I stood before our master, Boris Stravinsky. "Where is she?"

  Boris grinned and excused himself from his conversation to turn to me. "Why, I don't have any idea who you are talking about."

  I growled, flashing my fangs at him, not caring who was watching. "Don't play games with me, Boris. You know damn well who I'm talking about."

  His grin falter and he stepped closer to me, lowering his voice. "I'm going to excuse your rudeness because you are upset, but I will not have you disrespect me in front of all of our friends."

  "They're not my friends. They're yours. Everything here is yours. You made that perfectly clear when I left your house with nothing but the clothes on my back. And it just chaps your hide that I actually made something of myself and my house without you." Anger pulsated through my veins and I found myself unable to hold back any longer. I'd been holding in so much pain and resentment, and I was tired of kissing his wrinkly old ass because he happened to have made me. Enough was enough.

  "Antoine." Boris—to my annoyance—calmly patted me on the shoulder. "You clearly have some things you need to get off of your chest. Why don't we go to my study and talk about it?" He turned and then paused, gesturing his glass to the others. "And bring your brothers. Might as well get everything out in the open." To the rest of the party, he grinned and held his hands up. "Go back to the festivities, this is a family matter. I'll be back after I have a little chat with my boys."

  The guests chuckled around us, which only made it all worse. He wasn't taking me seriously. He was treating me like some child he had to chastise before sending to bed without supper. I would not be patronized.

  I followed Boris out of the ballroom with my brothers close on my heels. Everyone's eyes trailed after us, and I wanted nothing more than to stab them all with a stake. When we left the ballroom, Theresa waited in the hallway with Boris, looking far too pleased with herself.

  "Ah, Theresa. My loyal daughter. Where have you been?" Boris stopped next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. The way she clung to him was sickening.

  Theresa leaned into Boris's touch, but her eyes were on Wynn the whole time. "Oh, just getting ready to get rid of some broken things."

  "Well, the boys and I were about to have a family discussion in my study. You should join us. In fact, you should find Valentine. We might as well clear the air there as well." I forced myself not to react to the sound of Valentine's name. My brothers, I knew, weren't as skilled as I was at keeping a poker face. We had plenty of practice, but I'd had it more.

  If Boris noticed, he didn't say anything, but Theresa had a sly look in her eye I didn't care for. "I already looked and couldn't find him. Maybe he got lost. Someone said they saw him head into the maze earlier."

  Boris hummed. "Oh well, we'll have to carry on without him. Come."

  Stiffer than before, we walked as if we were going to our own execution. Which we might very well be, for all I knew. Something was going on. They were being too agreeable and secretive. I had no doubt that they took Piper, but if they knew we killed Valentine, they weren't giving it away...yet.

  Entering the drawing room, my eyes instantly landed on Piper, who lay in the middle of the floor wit
h her eyes closed. I didn't immediately rush to her, but Rayne tried to.

  "Ah, ah, ah." Boris appeared between Rayne and Piper, waving his finger in front of Rayne's face. "Let's not wake her just yet. She's had quite an accident and I wouldn't want her to be in pain. Would you?"

  "What did you do?" Drake growled, taking a bold step forward.

  I lifted my arm to stop him from going farther. "She's not dead. You can hear her breathing. Just wait." Lifting my gaze to Boris, I calmly asked, "What do you want?"

  "Why, my boys home of course." Boris laced his fingers in front of him and grinned from ear to ear. Theresa sat on the edge of his desk and watched with the amusement of a cat.

  "Not going to happen." I shook my head, bearing my fangs. "Never in a million years."

  "Not even for your little human?" Boris pouted. "I thought you cared for her more than that."

  I stared Boris down and gritted out, "You will not touch her."

  "I've already touched her." Theresa held up her hand and giggled. "And it was delicious." This time, Wynn snarled in her direction, making Theresa jump and smirk. "Oh, Wynn. Do it again. I do love when you get all riled up," she mocked, biting and clawing at him.

  Boris, however, had other things on his mind. "Very well, if you won't come back to me, then perhaps you could tell me what you've done with my precious boy?"

  My back stiffened. "I don't know what you mean."

  Clucking his tongue, Boris shook his head. "Now who's playing games? Theresa saw you leave the ballroom after him, and then someone else saw you in the maze with him." His blood-red eyes moved over to Wynn. "Both of you. So, who did it? Who killed Valentine?"

  Nobody said anything. The room was silent except for the sound of Piper's heartbeat. When it was clear nobody was going to say anything, Boris sighed and lifted his arms up at his sides.

  "Very well, if no one wants to confess, then I guess I'll just have to take something from you." Quick as lightning, he had Piper suspended by her throat. We all took a step toward her, but Boris warned us off. "Now, now, we don't want to go breaking something else. Breaking an arm is one thing, but a broken neck isn't something she can come back from, even with your little blood bond."