“Sophia’s worked her ass off the last few months,” Eleanor said, misinterpreting his lack of response. “She’s had all of Canada to worry about, and she didn’t even have a place to live. Not a place that Colin would approve of anyway.”
“Murphy calls the shots?”
“Of course not. Don’t be a pig. But Lucien’s old house was a joke. Anyone could walk in the front door. He meant well, but he had shit for security.”
“And look what happened to him,” Lucifer observed dryly. “Or rather, to the vampires who trusted him,” he added, referring to the several vampires who’d died as a result of the old lord’s failures.
“That wasn’t—” Eleanor started to protest angrily, but bit back whatever she’d planned to say next. Was it because she knew Lucien truly had been at fault? Or because she didn’t want to engage in a real conversation with Lucifer? “Anyway,” she continued, “Colin is a Navy SEAL. He knows—”
“Was,” Lucifer corrected, irritated at the familiar way she spoke of the missing human and the affection he could hear in her voice. “Was a Navy SEAL.”
She tipped her head, acknowledging the correction, but said, “They all think of themselves as SEALs, whether they’re currently active or not.”
“You’ve met his colleagues? His team?” he asked with studied casualness.
“Two of his friends visited a while back. I think they helped with the security set-up.”
Lucifer studied her silently, looking for what? Some indication that she liked the human warriors? That she’d hooked up with one of them? Maybe more than one? What the hell did he expect to see? And why did he still care?
This was getting him nowhere, and it wasn’t his purpose in being there.
“The old city,” he said, changing the subject without warning. “Have you been there?”
She shook her head. “No. I know what the brochures say, but that’s about it. Why? You think that’s where they’re keeping him?”
He shrugged. “It would be the smart move. All those human minds cluttering the ether, plus machinery, buildings and dirt. It’s all helping to mask his presence, even from Sophia. And—”
“And the blood does the rest. That’s the key. Don’t assume she’s any weaker than the rest of the lords, Lucifer. Or that her bond with Colin is any more vulnerable than theirs would be.”
He held up both hands in surrender. “Hey, I never said a word, bella.” She blushed at his use of the old endearment. “I have no doubt that your Sophia is as tough as they come. Besides, it’s obvious that they’re healing the poor bastard to keep him alive, and Aden made sure I understood what that would do to the mate bond, especially one that’s relatively fresh.”
She looked interested at that. “So if they’d been together for a longer time, like ten years or something, the blood wouldn’t matter?”
“Not according to Aden, and especially not if the vampire half of the mating was as powerful as Sophia. But that’s irrelevant here. It is what it is. Sophia can tell us the city where they’re holding him, but little else.”
“It’s a big city,” she commented faintly.
“Yeah, but it’s still more than the kidnappers think we know. And we want to keep it that way as long as possible. They won’t dare move him. There’s too big a chance Sophia would pick up on his presence.”
She studied him a moment, and then said, “Okay, I’ll go along with that. Sophia and the others must have picked you for a reason. So where do we start looking?”
Lucifer held up the thick file, with its photographs and reports. “Right here.”
She wrinkled her nose. Adorable, damn it. “Sounds tedious,” she muttered. “And I’ve already read everything in there.”
“So, read it again. Read it backwards, if that’s what it takes for a fresh look.”
“And what will you be doing?” she demanded.
He smiled. “Exactly the same thing.”
She sighed, but opened her own file, and, doing exactly what he’d suggested, went to the last page and started reading.
Lucifer watched her a moment longer, mentally whacking himself for giving her a reason to shut him out. And cursing himself for caring.
THANK GOD THE flight was short. Had it been much longer, Eleanor would have been stumbling down the aisle to be closer to him. Closer to Lucifer. He’d always had that effect on her. Like he was a magnet, and she was one of those refrigerator things . . . She frowned as the analogy fell apart. That made her the magnet, and Lucifer . . . the refrigerator? Well, shit, that was just ridiculous. He had her so rattled she couldn’t even come up with a decent analogy.
The hell with analogies. She didn’t need one to describe Lucifer’s effect on her. When they’d been together, she hadn’t been able to keep her hands off of him. If they’d been in the same room, they were touching. And he’d wanted her just as much as she’d wanted him.
But not anymore. There’d been that flash of joy when he’d first seen her in Toronto, but nothing since. She could hardly complain, since she’d been the one who’d shut him down cold out there, but still. She was hurting. Being so close, having to pretend it didn’t matter. It was a constant ache in her chest.
He’d loved her once. She’d never doubted that. But that was before . . . when she’d still been human.
1993, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
ELEANOR RESTED HER head against Lucifer’s strong shoulder, so happy that she could barely contain herself. She wanted to jump up and dance—not a dignified or graceful dance, either. Just a wild, abandoned gamboling to let the world see the joy filling her heart.
For the first time in her life, she was in love. He was handsome, charming, brilliant, and so strong and protective. And, oh, yes, he loved her, too.
“Are you having a good time, bella?” Lucifer’s voice was a warm, rumble of sound that made her entire body shiver with desire.
She nodded. “It’s all so glamorous. Are all vampire parties like this?”
He squeezed her tightly. “Not all, but the big man’s in town for this one.”
Eleanor thought that was interesting and wanted to ask who the “big man” was, but just then a vampire couple strolled past, a man and a woman, both gorgeous, the way they all seemed to be, and so wrapped up in each other that it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began.
“Are those two . . . you know, together?”
Lucifer snorted. “Not likely. Nest mates, probably. Those things can get pretty incestuous, but nothing long term. Vamps don’t get together—” He kissed the top of her head, to soften his teasing. “—for anything more than a casual fuck.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
“No blood, Elle. When a vamp mates, he only drinks from his lover. Like you and me.”
A rush of satisfaction made her heart swell even further. This beautiful vampire, this magnificent male, had chosen her, and only her. She was his lover, but so much more than that. He needed her to survive.
“So it doesn’t bother you that I’m human, and not one of you?” She’d worried about that. Vampires were so much stronger, more powerful. Why wouldn’t he want a woman like that for his lover? “You wouldn’t want me to become a vampire like you?”
“No, bella. Never.” He tugged her hair, turning her face up for a slow, sensuous kiss. “You’re perfect for me, just the way you are,” he murmured against her lips.
Present day, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
ELEANOR SHOVED the memory away, keeping her head lowered, so he couldn’t see the pain that filled her eyes. Her hands were twisted so tightly together that her fingers were bone white against the black fabric of her pants.
With an effort, she concentrated on loosening her fingers one at a time, letting the blood flow, and taking the pain with it. She wouldn’t let
him see how much it hurt—not only the memory of what they’d once had, but that his only reaction at seeing her again was to be pissed that she hadn’t told him she was alive. As if she was somehow responsible for whatever lies that asshole Derek Pratt had obviously told him. As if that was all that mattered. Not that she was alive, but that she’d hadn’t told him about it.
The plane hit the runway with a hard bump, jolting her out of her pointless wondering. None of that mattered. They weren’t here to reminisce old times. She had a job to do, and so did Lucifer.
Glancing out the window, she saw a pair of SUVs waiting, along with a line of men in identical black suits with black shirts and black ties. It was as close to a uniform as one could get without wearing khaki.
The pilot brought the plane to a smooth stop parallel to their reception committee, and she stood and gathered her things. There was no “full and complete stop” warning on this flight. Vampires didn’t worry about such things.
A moment later, one of the pilots appeared to open the hatch and admit the scent of burning jet fuel and overheated engines. And something else. Eleanor frowned and bent over to peer through the round window. Humans. All of those guards were human. Where were the vampires, the representatives of the Montreal nest who should have been there to greet them, or at least to stake their claim against Lucifer’s appearance in their city?
“Who are those people?” she asked Lucifer. She jerked to a halt, realizing that she’d gotten much too close to him. Her earlier refrigerator magnet analogy reared its ugly head.
Lucifer bent sideways to glance out the window. “Those are my daylight guards. Aden arranged for them to meet me here.”
“But we’re staying in the compound. They’ll have—”
“We are not sleeping in the compound. It’s not secure.”
“Hold up. This is Sophia’s territory—”
“And she agreed with Aden’s assessment of the security situation. It was decided after you’d already left for the airport. She probably figured I’d tell you. And now I have.”
Eleanor flattened her lips against the words that tried to come out. She would not criticize her lady in front of Lucifer. But Sophia should have told her about this herself. A telephone call would have done the job. Granted, she’d had a million things on her mind, getting ready to fly back to Vancouver, and not knowing what sort of clusterfuck she’d be facing there. But still . . . she shouldn’t have left Eleanor to be blindsided like this.
“Don’t worry, cara,” Lucifer said casually. “We won’t be sharing a bed.”
She whipped her head around and stared at him. “What?”
He laughed. “I knew that would get your attention. We’re going to a hotel,” he explained. “A very nice hotel, with a penthouse suite and two bedrooms. It’s been modified to accommodate vampire guests. You’ll be perfectly safe. And so will I.”
Without another word, he picked up his bag, and ducked through the open hatch, leaving Eleanor to eye the empty space where he’d been. Safe? There was nothing safe about this whole adventure. Just being around Lucifer again was . . . upsetting. An insufficient word for how she was feeling. Unbalanced, unsettled, disturbed. Yeah, disturbed, that was it. He disturbed her. The jerk. Why’d he have to be so charming, so gorgeous? And so thoughtful, despite what she’d done to him.
Because she was the one who’d let what they’d had together be destroyed. Derek Pratt had definitely played his part in the destruction, but Lucifer hadn’t. He’d been the one person with no fault at all.
A sudden wave of sadness for what she’d lost crashed over her, tightening her chest and blurring her eyes with unshed tears. She forced herself to gather her things. Mourning the past was a waste of time, and time was something they all had in short supply. Especially Colin Murphy.
With a glance around the cabin, she made her way down the aisle to the open door, which was already admitting the sounds and smells of the runway. She paused at the top of the stairs. Lucifer was down there, joking and laughing with the guards like they were old buddies. It was a talent of his. If he’d been human, he’d have been a politician, maybe even president. Or hell, maybe one of those preachers with a mega-church and thousands of followers.
Aware of the two vampire pilots waiting more or less patiently behind her, she descended the stairs, stepping aside for them to pass. Dawn wasn’t that far away, and they’d want to get to cover. A human pilot, someone they obviously knew, met them on the tarmac. There were handshakes all around, and then the human headed for the stairs, giving her a polite nod as he went by. The human would be prepping the jet, making sure it was ready for wherever they needed to go next.
Meanwhile the vampire pilots had joined the glad-handing around Lucifer. Obviously, they all knew each other. All they needed was some beer, and they could be a fucking TV commercial. A bunch of good ol’ boys getting ready for the game. Or some other male bullshit. No wonder Sophia wanted to chuck it all and move back to South America. Just her and Colin in a house in the forest, with sultry nights and fiery music.
Except that the South American lords would never accept Sophia back among them. She wasn’t a pretty, little hedonist any more—she was a vampire lord, ruler of the Canadian Territories. For better or worse, that was her reality.
Lucifer’s laugh rose over the crowd down below, familiar and wrenching at the same time. His laughter had a joyful quality to it that made her remember better times, and maybe, just a little, wish for something more.
As if he sensed her weakening resistance—because what woman had ever been able to resist him—he turned and smiled. “Ready, Elle?” He held out a hand.
She stared at him a moment. No one else had ever called her that.
Damn him.
Ignoring his hand, she headed for the nearest SUV. She didn’t know if it was the right one, but it was the only one with an open door, and they could damn well make it work. Who gave a fuck which damn vehicle she rode in?
Before she knew what was happening, Lucifer was sliding in behind her, shoving her across the bench seat with the sheer bulk of his body. She glared at him, but he only winked.
“Buckle up, cara. We’ll have to travel fast if we want to reach the hotel and settle in before sunrise.”
“You’d never know it from all the male bonding going on out there,” she muttered.
“Sorry?” he asked.
“I asked which hotel we’re staying at?”
His eyes crinkled in amusement, as if he knew she was lying. But he didn’t call her on it. “It’s a boutique hotel in the old city. I didn’t catch the name, except to know that it’s European. Scandinavian maybe. We’ve managed to snag the two top floors. You and I have the penthouse, which is the entire top floor, and the most secure. The daylight guards will set up one floor down, with patrols on all the entry points.”
Eleanor considered the situation. She’d have felt much better if she could have scoped out the location for herself, and discussed the plans for the daylight guard in detail. But apparently, she’d been left out of that particular discussion, since she was lacking a penis. Almost as soon as she had the thought, she knew it wasn’t true. First of all, Lucifer wasn’t like that. If she hadn’t been hiding in the plane after they’d landed, moping over the past instead of joining the crowd on the tarmac, she’d have been briefed right alongside him. There was also the fact that Aden had made the hotel arrangements, and so it only made sense that Lucifer knew details that she didn’t.
“Does the penthouse have a balcony?”
The human in the front passenger seat responded before Lucifer could say anything. “It does. Each bedroom suite has a private balcony. The penthouse is six floors up, and all of the windows have secure shutters that deploy from inside, but we’ll also have a man stationed on each balcony, with constant visual contact. That’s in additi
on to the men on the roof, and on the balconies on the floor below, which we control completely.”
“Thank you . . .” she said leadingly.
“Cal,” he supplied. “Calvin Christensen. I’ll be heading up your daylight security for this trip. We’ll also maintain a nighttime watch on the hotel suite when you’re out. We travel regularly with Lucifer, so we’re old hands at this.”
“Thank you,” she said again. Then she stared out the window like she’d never seen a city before, studiously ignoring Lucifer . . . the weight of his stare, the heat of his big body (which she could feel like a brand despite the several inches separating them,) the scent of his skin, the soft touch of his hand on her hair . . . wait, what?
She jerked her head around and glared at him. He gave her a slow smile. She knew that smile. He was trying to seduce her. To wear her down. And, damn it, it would work. She couldn’t fool herself on that front. She still had feelings for him. Still wanted him. All of the years she’d spent running away suddenly seemed pointless. A few hours back in his presence, and it was as if the years had never happened. Nothing had changed. Her heart still warmed when he smiled at her, still fluttered happily while it pumped that warmth into every inch of her body. And that wasn’t the only part of her body that reacted to his presence, either. She had vivid memories of sex with Lucifer, his narrow hips spreading her thighs, his heavy body looming over her, making her feel desired, coveted . . . possessed.
All she had to do was take his hand. Reach across those few inches that separated them, and thread her fingers with his. His hands were so much bigger than her own, so much stronger, even now with her vampire strength.
Lucifer (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 11) Page 6