Lucifer (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 11)

by D. B. Reynolds

  “Ready.” She’d been a whirlwind of vampire speed as she gathered her clothes from around the bed, and yanked them on, shoving her bra into her pocket as a lost cause. She’d pulled her long hair over her shoulder, and was twisting it into a tight braid when she looked up at him.

  “The car’s right outside,” he reminded her. He’d paid the valet extra for the convenience. “We’ll go straight through the club and out. You drive. You know the streets better.”

  She nodded again. “Josh?”

  “His room is paid for the day, so he’s safe enough, and drunk on pleasure. He already confided his willingness to, as he said, ‘do it again,’ if we’re so inclined. I liked the boy.”

  “Me, too,” she agreed, pulling on her hoodie. She looked up quickly. “But not like that,” she clarified, her eyes laughing at his narrowed gaze.

  It was Lucifer’s turn to make a hmphing noise as he opened the room door and hustled her out into the hallway. They weren’t the only vampires making a late exit, although there were more than a few who disappeared into private rooms with a loud click of a lock. Lucifer had been to all sorts of clubs—some with private rooms and some not—but he’d never seen so many vampires choosing to remain at the club through the day. It made him question the security at the main compound in the city, and wonder if it was a larger problem of improper facilities, or if, perhaps, there was so much turmoil among the city’s vampires that no one felt safe.

  “Let’s go.” Eleanor’s voice interrupted his reverie as she pushed open the outer door, and headed for their SUV, which was parked only a few feet away. He unlocked the doors with the remote—he hadn’t trusted it to the parking attendant—and opened Eleanor’s door, before heading around to his own.

  Eleanor started the vehicle, and pulled away from the curb with a squeal of tires, taking the first right turn so fast that he’d have sworn the big vehicle went up on two wheels. “How long?” she asked as she gunned the engine down a straightaway.

  “Long enough that there’s no need to kill us before we get there,” he said dryly.

  She grinned, but didn’t slow down.

  His phone rang when they were a few minutes from the hotel. He checked the caller ID, and answered, saying only, “Cal.”

  “Running a little late, boss,” Cal said mildly.

  “We had an interesting night. We’ll be there in two minutes.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Eleanor finally slowed when they hit the narrow street where their hotel was located. She drove the two blocks, then swung into the underground parking beneath the hotel, where Cal stood next to the elevator, waiting for them.

  “Cutting it close,” he told Lucifer, signaling for one of his men to park the vehicle, while he rode up in the elevator with them.

  “Our recon turned into a full-blown challenge fight,” Lucifer told him.

  Cal shot him a surprised looked. “Obviously you won.”

  “I did,” Lucifer confirmed, grinning. “One asshole down, and who knows how many to go.”

  The human guard snorted. “There’s an unlimited supply of those. Here we go,” he said, then stepped out of the elevator and stood to one side, letting Lucifer unlock the door to their suite. “Rest well.”

  Lucifer pushed the door open, and scanned the empty rooms beyond, making certain they really were empty. They had too many enemies in this city, enemies that had proven themselves to be very resourceful. And while he trusted Cal and his team with his life, he didn’t know how well the hotel employees had been vetted before their visit.

  Finding the rooms as empty as they should be, he held the door open while Eleanor walked past him, and then turned to Cal. “See you tonight,” he said, then closed and locked the door behind him, going immediately to the window controls to lower the shades.

  When he turned back to the room, Eleanor was already entering her half of the suite, but Lucifer zipped over and swept her up and into his arms.

  “What are you doing?” she said laughing.

  “I’m taking you to my bed, where you belong.”

  “Maybe you belong in mine.”

  “We can trade off,” he said agreeably, as he carried her into his bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. “Strip, woman. Time is short and I want you naked when we wake up tonight.”

  “You, too,” she said, giving him a meaningful look.

  Lucifer snorted. “Like I’m going to argue about getting naked with you.”

  Eleanor laughed, and it was such a lighthearted sound that it made Lucifer stop and stare. She sounded just as she used to, before so much shit had happened, and they’d been torn apart.

  “What?” she asked, catching his look.

  “Nothing,” he said softly. “I missed you, Elle.”

  “Oh,” she breathed, and then she was in his arms, and holding on to him as if she’d never let go. Which was exactly his plan. She swayed suddenly, and his grip tightened.

  “Into bed,” he said, reaching down and pulling back the covers, as she tumbled loosely onto the mattress.

  “You, too,” she repeated blearily, already affected by the rising sun, which was just crossing the horizon.

  Lucifer stripped off the last of his clothes, and slid in next to her. Vampire sleep wasn’t the same as human sleep. It was more akin to hibernation, albeit of the daily variety. Neither he nor Eleanor would move once they fell asleep, and they’d wake in exactly the same position. Which was why he pulled her into his arms, and yanked the covers over both of them.

  “Sleep, baby,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. And then the sun took him.

  Chapter Eleven

  ELEANOR BREATHED a blissful sigh and stretched luxuriously, feeling so very good . . . a blush heated her cheeks. A little too good. Her nipples were hard, her sex wet and trembling, and every nerve in her body was alive, as if . . . . She moaned out loud as two thick fingers slid into her pussy. Her hips bucked automatically, and her eyes flashed open.

  “Lucifer,” she gasped.

  His mouth closed over her swollen clit, his tongue lashing the sensitive nub, before he lifted his head, and grinned up the length of her body. His eyes were flashing wickedly, a thick lock of dark hair hung irresistibly over his forehead. “I woke up, and there you were, all creamy pink and naked. I couldn’t help myself.” He bent his head and licked her again.

  “Okay,” she breathed.

  “Excellent,” he growled, and then he sucked her clit hard, until she’d have sworn she could feel the pulse of her blood, throbbing and concentrated in that hard, little pearl.

  Eleanor threw her head back, panting for breath, as waves of erotic sensation coasted over her body, touching every inch of her skin, every erogenous zone. It was as if his mouth was everywhere, on her lips, her cheeks, her neck . . . and, oh God, on her breasts, her belly. How was he doing that? She was awash in glorious pleasure, convinced it couldn’t get any better than this.

  But she hadn’t counted on Lucifer. With a soft growl, he closed his teeth over the throbbing pulse of her clit, and he bit down.

  Eleanor screamed as the combination of pain and pleasure lit up her nerves like lightning. Fire burned in her veins, and she writhed helplessly as wave after wave of fierce, carnal joy flooded her senses. Her world, her universe, narrowed down to the small nexus of nerves between her thighs, and Lucifer’s voracious and talented mouth.

  “Bella.”

  His warm breath brushed over her wet flesh, cool after the heat of his mouth. She opened her eyes blearily. His face was wet and slick with her juices, his fangs gleaming white where they pressed into his lips.

  She had to swallow more than once before she managed to speak. “Lucifer?” she whispered.

  “Are you awake?”

  She nodded wordlessly. Oh, yes, she w
as awake. She’d never been so fucking wide awake.

  He smiled, slow and sweet, the devil himself come to seduce her. “That’s good,” he murmured. And then he moved. Powerful arms flexed, and he loomed over her, his hips spreading her thighs, his fully aroused cock on gorgeous display, dragging over her drenched pussy as he crawled up her body. He paused long enough to snack on each of her nipples, leaving narrow trails of blood to drip over the curve of her breasts, as he bent low and covered her mouth with his.

  She tasted her pussy and her blood on his lips, and wanted more. She drew his succulent lower lip between her teeth and bit down until the rich, dark taste of his blood joined the sensuous mélange flavoring their kiss. It tasted of sex and violence, of wanton pleasure. It tasted like Lucifer.

  “I love you,” she whispered into his mouth, shocked at the sob of emotion that punctuated her words.

  “Baby,” he murmured, touching his lips to her swollen mouth, kissing each corner, licking away the smallest hurt of her torn lips. His hips lifted as he reached between their bodies, brushing over her exquisitely sensitive clit, gliding his fingers through the creamy wetness of her pussy. And then he gripped his cock and positioned it at her entrance, holding his hips high, teasing her with the hot tip of his penis.

  Her eyes met his, pleading. He grinned . . . and then he thrust into her body, going as deep as he could go, until his balls slapped her ass, and his hips crashed into hers. He held there for a long moment, groaning.

  “Christ, you feel good. Your cunt is like a hot, tight glove around my dick.”

  Eleanor squeezed her inner muscles around the thickness of his cock, smiling smugly when he sucked in a harsh breath. He groaned. “I won’t last if you do that again.”

  She flexed her hips against his. “Maybe I don’t want you to last. Maybe I want you to come right now, to fill my pussy with your hot, thick—”

  “Jesus, Elle. I’m not kidding.” He covered her mouth with his, swallowing her laughter. And when he lifted his head, there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes. “Payback’s a bitch, baby.”

  His ass tightened beneath her heels, as he flexed his hips and pulled his cock out of her pussy, and then slammed it back in again. Over and over, he drove into her, fucking her fast and hard. It was lewd and raunchy, brutal and greedy. It was the most sublime thing she’d ever experienced.

  He was right with her when she climaxed, her sheath squeezing down the length of his cock, clasping and stroking until with a groan, he surrendered. And the wet heat of his release was just as overwhelming as she’d told him it would be. Their cries mingled as they bucked wildly against each other, arms and legs tangled, their panting breaths eventually the only sound in the room.

  ELEANOR WASN’T sure her heart would ever return to its normal, steady beat. She remembered loving Lucifer back in New Orleans, remembered making love to him, with him. But she didn’t remember anything like this. The passage of time had dulled her memories. Or maybe she’d chosen to forget how much he’d meant to her, because she’d known in her heart that she’d lost him forever.

  Except she hadn’t. She pressed her ear against his broad chest, hearing the regular, deep thump of his heart.

  “We need a plan,” Lucifer said, and his voice vibrated against her cheek. It made her smile. He caught her smile, and said, “When you get excited, your heart pounds so fiercely that your lovely breasts dance along with it.”

  She pushed herself upright and glared down at him, clutching her hands to her chest, as if to cover herself from his eyes. “They do not! And how did you know what I was—Can you hear my thoughts?”

  “Clear as a bell, baby.” His voice sounded in her head. “It’s the blood . . . from when we kissed.”

  She gasped in outrage. “Is that why you ambushed me with sex the moment I woke? To reinforce that stupid telepathic connection?”

  Lucifer’s beautiful abs flexed as he sat up and shoved himself against the headboard, pulling her along with him.

  “I ‘ambushed’ you because you’re the most delicious morsel of female flesh I’ve ever encountered, and I can’t get enough of you. And that so-called stupid connection you’re talking about might save our lives tonight,” he added somberly. “With any luck we’ll encounter no one but guards when we go after Murphy. Between us, we should be able to take them easily. But if any of Yamanaka’s co-conspirators show up—”

  “You’re not worried about Chase Landry, are you? Because I don’t think—”

  “Fuck Landry. He’s a minor talent. No, I’m far more concerned about Yamanaka’s mysterious European ally. We don’t know anything about him.”

  “You think he might have some real power?”

  “It’s hard to say, but I don’t believe for one second that Berkhard was willing to surrender all of Eastern Canada to Darren Yamanaka.”

  There was a thread of real concern in his voice that caught her attention. They hadn’t discussed Yamanaka’s death, or whatever intel Lucifer had gleaned from the dying vampire’s mind.

  “There’s more than just Yamanaka, isn’t there?” she asked. “I mean we knew he wasn’t working alone, but there’s someone significant. Who is it?” She braced herself for more bad news, for the revelation that she’d have to call Sophia with the name of one more trusted vampire who’d betrayed her. But Lucifer shook his head.

  “It’s not Sophia’s people who worry me, although Yamanaka dragged more than just Chase Landry into his sordid little scheme. It’s the Europeans. Berkhard didn’t come to North America alone. He brought a powerful ally along with him. And while he’s focused on Vancouver, he left that ally behind here in Montreal. The vampire’s name is Kasimir. Yamanaka wasn’t clear on the relationship, but he suspected that Kasimir was Berkhard’s child, maybe even his first. They’ve obviously been together a very long time, because Berkhard trusts him enough to oversee the conquest of the Eastern half of Canada. Berkhard’s already in Vancouver, by the way, or very close by. He wants to take out Sophia himself, in order to establish a rightful claim to all of her territory.”

  “She’s suspected that all along. Someone’s been nibbling away at her holdings, attacking small enclaves of her vampires. Almost like he’s testing the waters. Christian, the new Lord of the South, warned the Council about Berkhard, and about his ambitions against Sophia specifically.”

  Lucifer nodded. “Before he died, Yamanaka was beginning to suspect Kasimir’s motives. He’d begun making moves of his own to take Kasimir out before the end. His problem was one of power, however. I only have Yamanaka’s impressions, but he was well and truly intimidated by this Kasimir fellow.”

  Terror rose without warning, crushing her heart and chilling her lungs. If they had to take on Kasimir, Lucifer would be the one facing him down. Again. She’d be there to help him, to keep enemies off his back, and to lend her strength when he needed it. But just as with Yamanaka, Lucifer would fight the challenge, risking severe injury, or even death. She gripped his arm, her fingers digging into the solid muscle.

  “We should grab Colin tonight and fly to Vancouver. You and Sophia can join forces and—”

  Lucifer smiled gently, and covered her hand with his, slowly relaxing the hold she had on him. There were dark bruises where her fingers had dug into his flesh, and five bloody crescents from her nails. He made a shushing sound at the appalled look on her face.

  “It doesn’t hurt.” He picked up her fingers, with their nails painted with his blood, and held them to her mouth one at a time. “Blood strengthens the bond between us, bella. The more the better.”

  She sucked her fingers and found herself shuddering at the luscious taste of his powerful blood. Her nipples had already begun to swell and harden as all that power rushed through her system.

  “Damn,” she whispered. “How do you deal with that? Do you feel the same rush I do?”

&
nbsp; “I sure as hell hope not,” he murmured, flicking one of her eager nipples.

  She gave a halfhearted laugh, too worried about the possibility of him fighting the unknown Kasimir. What if the European was too strong? Or simply older and wilier? But Lucifer clearly didn’t want to discuss it.

  “It is what it is,” he said quietly. “It’s the vampire way. If I’m challenged, I will fight. And I’m damn good, so don’t worry so much.” He gave her hair a playful tug.

  Eleanor shoved down the fear that filled her throat, choking her. If Lucifer could do it, then so could she. He didn’t need her doubts spilling into his thoughts. “Speaking of the vampire way,” she said, forcing herself to change the subject. “Since you killed Yamanaka, does that make you Master of Toronto and Montreal? And maybe Quebec, too?”

  Lucifer tilted his head, considering the question. “I suppose so. The rule is you keep what you win, right? But those cities are part of Sophia’s territory, which makes it more complicated. We’ll have to sort out all of that once Murphy is freed and our enemies are dead.”

  Eleanor nodded. “What’s the plan for tonight, then?”

  He shrugged. “We can’t know until we get there. We’ve got the codes, and the basic layout. Beyond that, we’ll have to play it by ear.”

  She felt a little sick at the idea of charging into those tunnels with so many unknowns. But he was right; there was no other way. “Okay, we should get moving then. Should we shower together in order to—”

  Lucifer laughed. “Now’s who ambushing whom? If we shower together, we’ll never leave this room.” He bent down and sucked one nipple into his mouth, and she felt the firm scrape of his fangs.

  She shuddered as her pussy contracted deep between her thighs. Her body remembered the feel of his mouth, his hands, and damn it, his beautiful cock, too.