She rose, opening her eyes to stare into his, and he leaned forward, gripping her by her nape. Michelle’s mouth opened, and he met hers with his, dipping his tongue inside, flicking the tip under and over hers, before pulling it into his mouth, sucking with gentle motions.
Her hips rocked forward and back, and he grasped one of her breasts, tugging her raised nipple. Michelle broke the kiss and let her head fall backwards, as she inhaled and exhaled deeply.
She was a vision in her nudity, riding him and taking the pleasure she wanted with confidence. The lamp by the bed shone light over half of her body, but the other remained in shadow, though he could see her perfectly.
His gaze went to her chest, and he raised her other breast to his mouth.
“Remi!” she called out, as her fingers laced through his hair, clutching him to her.
He relished the way her walls held him, the feel of her heartbeat thumping, hitting his length, as she coated his balls in her slickness.
After he let her go, her palms went back to his shoulders. He looked into the mirror, as she went to her tiptoes, rising and then lowering herself onto him. Then he watched her face, her closed lids, how her eyes were moving behind them. He felt every slight change of her angle made with deliberate motions.
“Oh!” she cried.
“Hit the spot?”
“Yes! Oh, God!”
Then her speed grew, intensifying, as she dug her nails into his skin. His cock hardened further, and he clenched his teeth in an effort not to come until after—or more likely, when—she did. Her softer touches hadn’t tampered his desire in the least, and he wished he’d let her make love to him before that night.
Remi whispered, “Look at me.”
She obeyed, her gaze taking a moment to focus.
“Keep going, but don’t look away. Watch what you’re doing to me.”
Inhaling sharply, she nodded, as he slipped his finger between her lower lips, rubbing her clit thickened with blood.
“Aahh!”
“Oui, chér.” While she bounced on him harder and faster, Remi forced himself to sit still, resisting the urge to pick Michelle up, toss her onto the bed, and ravish her. “Oui.”
Clenching his cock tighter, she thrust herself down a final time, and her core rippled around him as she came. He followed, wrapping his arms around her, crushing her to his chest, as his spending shot into her.
She grabbed him by the sides of his face, searching his eyes, before she tipped her head, lowering to take his mouth as much as she had taken his body.
Once they parted, she laid against him, breathing hard as he held her, his lips in her hair.
“Was it as good for you as it was for me?”
“Oui, Michelle. We’ll do that more often, but now it’s my turn.”
Chapter 12
“What do you mean, you couldn’t bring her back?” Gregor roared, stomping over to where Hans stood.
“The bar she ran into had some sort of protection against vampires. I could feel it preventing me from moving forward. It’s a public building. I should’ve been able to enter with no problem. I saw that there was some kind of powder or paint on the beams of the threshold.”
“This entire goddamn town is full of fakes, frauds, and scam artists, and she somehow manages to hide away with the real deal?”
“I thought it was strange, as well. She must’ve been planning this much better than we suspected.”
“I should’ve chipped her when she moved in. Set a house alarm to detect her movements if she went towards the doors. Maybe a shock collar, too.”
“What about the tournament? Are you still going?”
“I can’t back out. How could I? What do you suggest, that I make up some lame excuse and lose my immensely expensive entrance fee? Not to mention the shame of it all.”
“Gregor, that’s a pittance, compared to what you already have.”
“Don’t you get it? This isn’t about money.”
“Then, what is it?”
“My name! I’d finally unseated that pompous ass Remi, who thinks he’s the best player to have ever lived, but every time I’ve played since she fled, I lost. And he’s let it be known that he’ll be at the games. The organizer is his fucking brother!”
“Yes, I know, sir.”
“Look. You’ve got two weeks to capture that bitch, by whatever means necessary, and bring her back here.”
“Neither she nor Marcel can stay inside forever. I’ll post men around the area both day and night. We’ll get her back in time.”
“I’ll sweeten the pot for you, Hans. Kill Marcel and bring Sophie to me, and you can have her for a while. Do whatever you want. Free reign.” Hans’ eyes widened, and Gregor smiled. “Just don’t rough her up too bad.”
“You’ll allow me to take her to my playroom?”
“Is that what you’re calling it now? That chamber of pain and debauchery?”
Hans nodded, a wicked glint in his eyes.
“She’ll be disciplined for leaving, and you can be sure she’ll never attempt it again. When I’m done with her, she’ll be pliant, yielding, and obedient.”
“And you’ll have had your fun.”
“Of course.”
“Sounds like a perfect plan to me. Get it in action.”
Hans strode from the room, barking orders to his subordinates who scurried to follow his precise instructions.
As he watched the goings on, his employees running through the halls, he murmured, “Oh, Sophie, Sophie, Sophie…. You have no idea what you’re in for once you’re delivered into his hands. I almost feel sorry for you.” Thinking of her betrayal, he cocked his head to the side. “Nah. You’re playing the hand you dealt.”
Chapter 13
Remi woke the next night with Michelle wrapped around him. Her fingers were curled in his hair, her breaths soft against his chest. Lifting the sheet, he looked her over. Not a single bruise marred her body. He hugged her closer to him and suddenly, he was hit with a craving for blood as if it were his first night waking after being turned.
“Ow!”
In the haze between sleep and wakefulness, Michelle shifted, pulling away, murmuring something under her breath. She turned onto her side, and her hair fell, uncovering the contour of her neck. Her artery throbbed in time with her heartbeat, and his fangs dropped of their own volition.
Drink!
He could’ve sunk his fangs straight into her flesh, and she wouldn’t’ve blinked an eye, as many times as he’d done it, but Remi didn’t want to use her as his blood donor anymore. Her status in his life had risen, and he was happy at the thought, content that his heart had, at some point, decided to choose her. As he considered how blind he’d been to the perfect woman already at his side, another pang hit, stronger than the one before.
Throwing the linens off, he placed his feet on the floor and scrubbed his face with his hands. Then he stood and made his way to the fridge, where he kept his blood supply. His need seemed to increase with each step he took. Once he reached it, he yanked it open, nearly taking the door off its hinges. The closest bag was his victim, and he drank, groaning in euphoria, until it was spent.
Later, as he threw the third drained one into the garbage, his head jerked up at a faint scent. A tantalizing mix of beauty, danger, and death called to him, like a song filled with notes of promise and destiny that couldn’t be unsung. Then Michelle wandered into the kitchen, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair. She went to the coffeemaker, took the pot from the warmer, and turned the faucet on.
Suddenly afraid of what was happening, he grabbed her to him, holding her close, wanting to smell it on her flesh, wanting it to call him to her.
But the essence wasn’t coming from Michelle.
“What is it, Remi?” she said, yawning, as the moon ascended in the sky.
“Nothing. I woke up really hungry.”
She went to the fridge and grabbed another pack. Placing it in his hands, she gave him a
coy smile.
“Maybe you worked up an appetite.”
“Come here, chér.”
Drawing her into his arms again, he felt something like a wind beginning to blow between them, a gentle yet insistent thing, urging them apart. He bit into the bag, and after draining it, the strange feeling dissipated.
“I need some caffeine,” Michelle said, as she pulled away. Remi wondered if she felt it, too. After filling the reservoir and adding the filter and grounds, she pressed the button to start the machine. “Gotta wake up.”
“Let me help,” Remi said, lifting her into his arms.
Desperate for the return of the connection he’d experienced with her the prior night, while despising what had just occurred and hoping it would never happen again, he had an all-consuming urge to sink back inside her.
“Remi, what’s gotten into—?”
“I need you.”
Chapter 14
“We’ll be touching down in New Orleans in about 15 minutes,” the pilot said over the intercom. “Please fasten your seatbelts.”
Clarence drew a circle on the map and another a ways from it. Then he made a straight line between them. He snapped the top on the pen, before passing the paper to Jana.
“What am I looking at?” she asked.
“Another illustration of the area where the majority of the victims were seen last.”
“And this spot? It looks different than what you showed me earlier.”
“It is. This one also indicates where the bodies were discovered.”
“Quite a distance.”
Clarence nodded and said, “Were you able to find anything out from your contact in law enforcement?”
“He said he hadn’t heard about it until I told him. He’s going to do some snooping around.”
“The police have no idea about these murders?”
“Apparently not. Or they’re ignoring them for some reason and not investigating.”
“Nothing worse than a dirty cop.”
“Sounds like a call to the Feds is in order after we take care of this situation.”
They heard a hydraulic droning, as the plane’s landing gear lowered into place. A few moments later, they were taxiing down the runway, the brakes slowing their speed to a crawl. The pilot navigated to an empty hanger and pulled inside.
A black limousine arrived. The trunk opened, and a muscled chauffeur stepped out, crossing his arms in front of him, as he looked around.
Clarence folded the map and asked, “Who’s our handler?”
Jana looked out the window.
“It’s Ethan. Magno must’ve called him.”
“That’s good. He’s always got his ear to the ground. Maybe he can give us some intel.”
With a whoosh, the pilot opened the door and then pressed a button for the stairs to drop. They stood and shook his hand, before making their way down to the tarmac.
Ethan approached and said, “Easy flight?”
“Yes, thankfully,” Jana said, smiling when her heels met the pavement, while Clarence huffed a laugh. “Wolves aren’t meant to be cramped in a metal cylinder, hurling through the air. We’re one with the earth.”
“Well, you made it without throwing up this time. You did turn a bit green for a while, though.”
“We agreed to never talk about that.”
Clarence snorted and said, “Ethan doesn’t count. He’s a vault of secrets.”
“That, I am. And for the record, Jana, I agree with you. My wolf hates being confined. Come on. Let’s get your luggage and hit the road.”
Once everything was loaded into the vehicle, Ethan closed the trunk and opened the door for Jana and Clarence. They seated themselves, and Ethan slid behind the steering wheel. The window separating the two compartments was lowered, so they could communicate freely.
“Magno brought me up to speed on the case. Gotta tell you, close to nothing that happens in this city surprises me. I’ve seen some weird shit. But...” He whistled through his teeth. “...whoever is doing this is racking up an amazing number of kills and, somehow, keeping it under the radar.”
Jana rolled down her window, and the air ruffled through her hair, as she inhaled deeply.
“The families must’ve been paid off to not make a racket.”
Clarence shook his head and said, “More likely, they were compelled by the very same vampires who committed the atrocity.”
“Where to first, Clarence?” Ethan asked.
“French Quarter. Let’s go have a look.”
Chapter 15
Sophie set her fork down on her plate and said, “Marcel, that was hands down the best boudin I’ve ever eaten.”
“Old family recipe. Glad you liked it.”
“Thanks so much for helping me.” She glanced at her ankle that he’d wrapped in an elastic bandage. “With any luck, I’ll be outta your hair soon.”
“Think nothin’ of it, girl. Where you gonna go? You got family somewhere?”
“I do back East, but they won’t help me, since I’m the black sheep and...” She made quotation marks with her fingers. “...the biggest disappointment of their lives.”
“What’d you do for them to think that?”
She shook her head and whispered, “The question is, ‘What didn’t I do in the name of rebellion against Mommy and Daddy?’ I’ve paid for it and then some, believe me.”
Pushing her chair back, she stood and gathered the dishes from the table.
“I’ll get these cleaned up, Marcel.”
“You wanna talk about it?”
“Not really. Sorry. I beat myself up enough as it is about how my choices got me into that situation. I’d rather not spill my sob story again.”
“Well, I’m here if you ever want to. No judgment. We’ve all been in low places. We just gotta keep tryin’ to rise above it.”
“Seems like that’s where I’ve been for years, the gutter. But that’s the goal, climbing out of it. Thanks.”
“Any time.”
She stacked the dishes beside the sink and gestured to a pitcher.
“More iced tea?”
“I’ll get it. Finish what ya doin’ and then go prop ya leg up.”
Sophie nodded, put the stopper in the drain, and turned the faucet on.
“Yes, boss.”
“I gotta ask, though, since you hidin’ here…. What do those vamps want with you?”
Squeezing some liquid soap underneath the flow, she said, “To take me back to Gregor, so I can be his rabbit’s foot.”
“Huh?”
“He’s convinced that something about me makes sure he wins all his stupid card games... that he’s made millions because of me.”
“Is it true?”
She shrugged and scrubbed a plate with a sponge. After rinsing it, she set it in the plastic dish rack and then turned around.
“He’s gonna put a chip in me if he gets me back, Marcel. If he does, I’ll never get away again. He’ll just use me over and over and over.” A tear slipped from her eye, and she brushed it away. Glancing at Marcel, she saw recognition pass across his face in understanding of what she meant. “I think I’d rather die than go back to him, back to that.”
“Well, ya ain’t! Not if I can do anything about it! She returned to the washing and then dissolved into a weeping mess. “How much money’d you lift?” Sophie froze, thinking of when she’d last seen her backpack. “I looked in ya bag while ya was asleep. Had to. Gotta know ‘bout stuff in my own place. Coulda been drugs, for all I knew, and I can’t have that here. But don’t worry. I ain’t gonna take it from ya. How much more ya need?”
She shrugged and said, “I got $750 or so.”
“You can forget about pawnin’ the jewelry ‘round here.”
“Yeah, I know. I was planning on waiting until I settled somewhere else.”
“How ‘bout you sell the stash to me?”
“Sure.”
“I figure 5,000 should cover it.”
The
glass she was holding dropped back into the water, splashing suds on her t-shirt. Flipping around, she trembled, as a million questions entered her mind, including what he might be expecting from her for it.
“Why are you helping me? Why would you give me that much money? Half that stuff is shit! Did you look at it? It’s costume, not real. You don’t even know me! What do you want?”
Anger flowed from Marcel in waves, and he hit the table with his fist, causing Sophie to jump.
“Not a damn thing!”
“Then, why are you doing any of this?”
Marcel was breathing hard, staring at a point past her as if he didn’t see her at all. Too afraid to move, Sophie stayed where she was, not wanting any sudden movement to set off violence. He raised his hand and dropped his head, as his shoulders shook.
“Because I lost my little girl to the streets. Buried her two years ago. She was 24 and runnin’ around with a criminal gang of vampires. Dropped outta med school and started gettin’ herself into trouble left and right. I warned her, but she didn’t listen. She gave herself to one of ‘em, and once he was done with her, she turned to drugs to cope. Somebody’d call me and let me know where she was at, and I’d go and find her strung out. I tried to get her help, but she didn’t want it. And then I got that call every daddy fears... from the morgue.”
“I’m so sorry,” Sophie whispered.
“So, ya gonna take the money, Sophie. And ya gettin’ as far away from New Orleans as ya can. Make a new, better life for yaself.”
She nodded and went back to scrubbing the dishes.
Chapter 16
Remi watched the man seated across from him at the card table. Sweat had broken out on the guy’s forehead, and he wiped it with his handkerchief once again.
Michelle walked over, swaying her hips, and leaned down to Remi’s ear.
“He’s almost out of chips.”
She straightened but didn’t move away. He slid his hand up and down the outside of her bare thigh, staring at the perspiring man. He was trembling so hard that Remi was surprised he hadn’t dropped his cards.
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