by D
“A basement?”
“Vampires, love. That vault Leighton told you about? It’ll be underground.”
“An estate like this in Malibu? It’s worth a fortune.”
“No doubt. But Raphael’s been alive and ruling this territory for a very long time.”
“How long?”
“The territory? I can’t say for sure, but I’d guess two hundred years or so. As for Raphael . . . I can’t even guess. Vampires live a long time, especially the strong ones. He’s centuries older than I am, anyway.”
She turned to study him in the dim light of the backseat. “How old are you?”
He grinned, intentionally letting her see the flash of his fangs for the first time. “Let’s just say, I hope you like your lovers to be older men.”
A dismissive breath puffed over those sweet lips of hers. “Like that’s going to happen.”
He leaned in, put his lips next to her ear, and said, “Oh, it’s happening, princess. It’s only a question of time.” When his lips touched the delicate skin beneath her ear in a soft kiss, she shivered in response, but didn’t pull away. And Lachlan knew he was right. He was going to have her in his bed. But first, they had to survive Raphael.
The town car stopped at the foot of a set of stairs. “Stay inside,” he told the driver, then opened his door and climbed out, holding out a hand for Julia to slide over and exit next to him.
She did so without complaint, which affirmed his confidence in her good sense. This wasn’t a time for petty tantrums over protocol. This was very possibly the most dangerous gamble she’d ever taken, though she might not realize it. Lachlan could feel the immense power throbbing all around him. It was so strong that he was almost surprised to look up and not see the white walls pulsing in tune with the heartbeat of the vampire lord who ruled here.
And it wasn’t only Raphael’s power that pounded on him. He reached back and cupped a hand around Julia’s slender hip, keeping her mostly behind him as he faced their greeting committee. Lachlan was a big man, but these two were even bigger. Having done his homework, he knew who they were—Juro and Ken’ichi. Twin brothers who formed the bedrock of Raphael’s security apparatus. They were so identical that some might not have been able to tell them apart, but Lachlan could. Juro carried an air of authority and outward aggression, while Ken’ichi gave off a quiet confidence, one that said he’d listen before he acted. Regardless of their temperaments, however, the two were twins in power, as well as appearance.
But then, Lachlan had power of his own. Letting it rise just enough to make a point, without offering a threat, he held out his hand to Juro first. “Lachlan McRae,” he said simply. “I believe Ms. Harper and I are expected.”
Juro’s dark eyes held his as they shook hands . . . and measured each other’s strength. It wasn’t a matter of physical muscle, although they tested that, too, doing their best to crush bones. But it was another test that truly mattered. Vampire power flared, and he caught a whisper of telepathic communication as Juro, no doubt, advised his lord of this new vampire’s strength. But then, he gave Lachlan’s hand a final squeeze that truly would have broken bones had he not protected himself with his vampire-enhanced muscle. Juro released his hand with a chuckle. “You should join us on the mats while you’re here. It would be . . . interesting.”
“An intriguing offer,” Lachlan said, with the same touch of humor. “But perhaps another time. I doubt our visit will be long enough.” He tightened his hold on Julia and stepped aside, letting her move up next to him.
“Julia Harper,” she said, not waiting for an introduction as she offered her hand.
Juro’s grip was visibly gentler. “Juro. Welcome to Malibu.”
She smiled, then turned to Ken’ichi who’d just finished with Lachlan. There’d been no test of power in their handshake. It hadn’t been necessary. And when he greeted Julia, his grip was even gentler than Juro’s had been.
“Follow us,” Juro said, starting up the stairs, while Ken’ichi gestured for one of the other vampire guards to deal with the driver.
The doors at the top of the short staircase were tall and elaborate, cut glass with a dark wooden frame and age-darkened brass hardware. They were opened from the inside by two guards who regarded Lachlan with open suspicion as they crossed into a marble-floored foyer. He was rather surprised that none of the guards viewed Julia as a threat. One would think living on an estate with Cynthia Leighton, they’d be more aware of the danger a human woman could represent. In this case, their judgment was warranted, since, to his knowledge, Julia wasn’t even carrying a weapon. In her view, she was visiting an old friend, not entering the lair of a viciously powerful vampire lord.
She didn’t fight him when Lachlan took her hand, however, so perhaps she wasn’t as relaxed as she appeared.
They were across the foyer and halfway up the inside stairs to what, in America, was called the second floor when a stunning brunette rounded from the upper floor with a shouted, “Jules!”
Julia looked up with the biggest smile he’d seen from her so far. “Cyn!”
The two women ran toward each other, ignoring the undercurrent of vampire aggression as Leighton pushed past the two huge vampires to greet Julia with a joyful hug. “It’s been forever,” Leighton said, without loosening her hold.
For Lachlan’s part, he simply stood there, admiring the sight they made. Two beautiful women, hugging and kissing each other’s cheeks, their faces beaming with happiness. He glanced over and met Juro’s gaze with a shrug. The big vampire made a huffing sound that might have been a laugh, then said, “Cynthia.”
She turned to look at him, eyes rolling with impatience. “I know, I know. Come on, Jules.” She pulled Julia up the stairs, past the twins, and turned left down the hall.
Lachlan doubted the friendly atmosphere would last long once they reached Raphael’s inner sanctum, but didn’t say anything, just kept to his well-guarded place between the two vampires and followed the women to what was obviously Raphael’s office. The doors were open, but that didn’t stop Lachlan from admiring their sheer magnificence. They were tall enough to grace any cathedral, the wood nearly black with age and grain. He wanted to stop and admire the intricate carving, but the impulse didn’t last.
Because Raphael was waiting. There was no heartbeat of power like the one Lachlan had sensed outside. The vampire lord sitting behind his desk didn’t need any blatant demonstration. His strength was like the heat of a distant star. Get too close and it would destroy you.
Lachlan didn’t let any of these thoughts show on his face, however. Walking directly into the office, he stopped behind the two chairs placed in front of the desk and nodded his head in respect. It wasn’t the greeting of equals, and not because of Raphael’s simmering power, either. It was because Raphael was a vampire lord, and Lachlan wasn’t . . . yet. “Lord Raphael.” He didn’t bother to introduce himself. That would have been redundant, since Raphael obviously knew who he was.
“Lachlan McRae,” the vampire lord greeted him, proving the point.
“And this is my friend Julia,” Leighton interjected, pulling her forward.
“Julia Harper,” Julia clarified, taking her cue from Lachlan and not offering to shake hands.
Lachlan waited an awkward moment for Raphael to speak, while the vampire lord studied Julia with a moment’s open curiosity, before it was concealed behind a blank expression. What was that about? Was it because she was human, and he didn’t want her to be part of their discussions? This was vampire business, after all, and Raphael was unaware of Julia’s desire to kill Erskine.
It was Leighton who finally broke the strange silence. “Come on, Jules. We don’t need or want to stay here for this vampire bullshit. They take twenty words to say what you or I could manage in two.” She rounded the desk and exchanged a kiss with Raphael. “See you lat
er, my lord,” she said, giving him an additional smacking kiss.
Lachlan could tell by the teasing way she used the honorific that it wasn’t her usual title for him, and it made him like her. Made him think differently of Raphael, as well. Not that he thought the vampire lord was any less dangerous or deadly, but it humanized him. Which was a strange thing to say about a vampire as powerful as this one. But the fact that he indulged this public display, not so much the kiss, but the easy teasing between them, said something about who he was. And how confident he was in his power.
Lachlan turned and caught Julia’s eye. She’d been watching the exchange with the same close attention and now met his gaze with more than a little puzzlement. He held out his hand, and she took it, letting him tug her closer. “Are you okay with this,” he asked softly, more for her sake than anyone else’s. Every vampire in the room would have heard the question, no matter how quietly he spoke.
Julia took a moment to respond, but then gave his fingers a squeeze as she nodded. “I’ll spend some time with Cyn. You’ll be okay?”
Her presence wouldn’t stop Raphael from doing any damn thing he pleased, but her concern had been so sincere that he swallowed his automatic grin. The truth was that if it came down to it, Lachlan would fight, and he’d do some damage before he died. But die he would. Even so, it warmed his cold vampire heart to know she cared. “I will,” he assured her.
“Don’t worry, big guy,” Leighton said, tugging Julia away from him. “I’ll bring her back safe and sound.” And with that, the two women left the office, Julia giving him a last scrutinizing look before letting herself be pulled away.
Lachlan’s gaze didn’t linger on the empty doorway once Julia was gone. He wasn’t that foolish. The biggest threat in the room wasn’t his lovely princess leaving him for a few hours. It was the powerful vampire sitting behind the desk. His eyes met Raphael’s.
“Have a seat, Lachlan McRae. Tell me why you’re here.”
The doors closed behind Lachlan as he sat down. It was time to speak of murder and mayhem.
“SOOOOO,” CYN SAID, as she settled onto an overstuffed couch in front of a huge fireplace. It was the kind of hearth Julia imagined was used, back in the day, to spit and cook whole goats or pigs. It was certainly big enough. Although, while this house was grand, it wasn’t nearly old enough to have hosted a medieval feast. Besides, as far as she knew, vampires didn’t eat regular food anyway.
“Sooooo,” Julia echoed, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. “You’ve mated with a vampire,” she said, using Lachlan’s word.
“Looks like you’ve hooked up with one, too,” Cyn said slyly.
“What? Absolutely not. We only met a few days ago, for God’s sake. We’re partners, nothing else.”
Cyn laughed. “If you say so, but I know vamps, Jules. They’re relentless when they want something, or someone. And that boy wants you.”
“He’s hardly a boy,” she muttered. “He’s old enough to be my great-grandfather, at least.”
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s grandpa to me. That’s one fine male specimen.”
“Hey! You’re a married woman. Or close to it anyway.”
“Yep, thoroughly taken, and by the most beautiful man in the world. But that doesn’t make me blind. Your Lachlan is a hunk, and you’d be a fool not to tap that, even if it’s not long-term.”
“Tap that? Jesus, Cyn.”
She laughed again. “When did you become such a prude? Or I am hitting too close to home?” She stretched out a foot and nudged Julia with her toe. “Admit it, you’re attracted to him.”
Julia let out an exasperated breath. “Okay, fine. He’s gorgeous, he’s smart, and can be charming when he wants. But he’s as moody as hell, and he keeps secrets.”
“They all keep secrets. Raphael did, too, at the beginning. But . . . well, you know me. Trust doesn’t come easily. We had a crisis of sorts, a serious one. And he doesn’t do that anymore.”
Julia reached down and squeezed Cyn’s foot in a gesture of understanding. She did know the other woman, knew about her solitary childhood, her absent father, and the mother who’d abandoned her. Cyn had always been beautiful and smart, but Raphael was the first serious relationship she’d ever had, as far as Julia knew. So maybe the vampire really was good for her.
“Tell me about Lachlan,” Cyn said, changing the subject. “Hey, you want something to eat or drink? Vamps tend to forget about us mere humans, but there’s a full kitchen downstairs for the daytime guards. I can order up something, if you want.”
“No, I’m fine. Lachlan took me out for breakfast after we got here, and I had a sandwich on the plane. We used my dad’s jet.”
Cyn nodded. “Yeah, there’s no such thing as flying commercial with a vamp. And the food thing . . . it does make it easier to stay in shape. Plus, my trainer now is a vicious female vampire who loves to make me hurt.” She waved away Julia’s look of concern. “I’m kidding. Elke’s my nighttime bodyguard and she’s great. I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been.”
“That makes two of us,” Julia said dryly. “I’ve been planning this since Masoud was killed.” She froze, realizing what she’d just said. She glanced over at Cyn to find her friend staring at her.
“Planning what, Jules? And what does Masoud’s death have to do with it? I thought he was killed during a robbery gone bad?”
Julia sighed. There was no point in keeping her suspicions a secret from Cyn. The question of how she and Lachlan had met, and why Julia had helped arrange this meeting, was bound to come out eventually. Besides, Cyn was too smart not to see through some convenient story, and Lachlan would probably just tell Raphael outright. Especially given that whole ‘you can’t lie to a vampire’ thing.
“I never bought the robbery story,” she admitted. “He was murdered.”
Cyn stared at her. “What? Who’d want him dead?”
“Someone who thought he was too close to uncovering their crimes.”
“Explain please. Masoud was with his dad’s investment group, right?”
Julia nodded. “And he was good at it. Too good. He discovered a money laundering scheme. Multiple currencies, but in the high nine figures if counted in US dollars. He was in London to meet with the client—to give him a chance to explain, I guess—but the night before the meeting, he was murdered. That’s no coincidence, Cyn.”
“Convenient timing, I admit.” The other woman frowned. “But what does that have to do with Lachlan? Or vampires in general?”
Julia sighed, but there was no choice but to go all in. “The supposed investor, the one hiding the money, was a Scottish vampire. Erskine Ross.”
“Erskine,” Cyn repeated softly, thinking, then stared with wide eyes. “Raphael mentioned him when he talked about this visit. But he’s not just any vamp, Jules. He’s the Lord of Scotland. Really powerful. And dangerous, too. He’ll have an army of vamps at his beck and call. If he killed Masoud . . . . You have to leave this alone, or he’ll kill you, too.”
Julia didn’t raise her voice, just gave her friend a long look and asked, “Would you be able to leave it alone?”
“It’s not the same. I have Raphael to back me up.”
“And if you didn’t? If Raphael had been the one killed, or even hurt? Would you just let it go, then?” she asked, still speaking quietly.
“Fuck, no, and you know it. Damn it. Does Lachlan know?”
“Of course, he does. Why do you think I called you? We have a deal. I help him get a meeting with Raphael, and he helps me get my revenge.”
“What does that mean? What exactly is your revenge?”
“I want that bastard dead. And I want to be the one who does the killing.”
Cyn was silent for a long moment, then said, “He won’t let you do that, you know.”
Juli
a frowned. “What do you mean? Who won’t let me do what?”
“Lachlan won’t let you kill Erskine. If he wants Erskine dead, it’s because he’s going after the territory himself. That’s why he wants to talk to Raphael.”
“Why does that make a difference?”
“Because it means he has to do the killing. It’s a vampire thing. There’s no way around it. He might let you get in a shot or two, but the death blow has to be his.”
Julia thought about it. Lachlan had told her about how someone had to be ready to step up and take over the territory if Erskine died. And he’d never come right out and said she could kill Erskine herself. Only that they both wanted the vampire lord dead. She thought about it some more, then said, “As long as I get to hurt him before he dies . . . I can live with that.”
“Well, okay, then,” Cyn jumped to her feet. “Come on, I’ll show you our armory. You can fire a gun, right?”
“Of course, it was part of my training at—” She stopped before she gave away her CIA connection, even though she was sure Cyn already knew. “Let’s just say I was well-trained. And I don’t need your armory. I have my own gun.”
“A back-up’s always necessary. And I have these special bullets. Well, they’re not mine—I didn’t invent them or anything. But I call them my vampire-killer rounds. One clean shot to the head and it destroys their brain. After that, you just walk up to them and blow out their heart, and you’ve got one very dead vampire. It doesn’t matter how powerful they are, either. Come on, babe,” Cyn cried excitedly. “Let’s go kill some motherfucking vampires!”
“Cyn. Sit down, and stop using that word. Your language is even worse than it used to be.”
Cyn laughed, but didn’t sit down. “I’m serious, Jules. You need those bullets, and they might be harder to get in Europe. What size is your weapon?”
“It’s a 9mm, and yeah, I’ll take the bullets, thanks. But there’s no need to visit the armory, even though I know it’s probably your favorite place.”
Cyn gave her a big grin and made a “pew pew” noise as she shaped her hand into a gun and shot it around the room.