by Ann Lory
* * * * *
As soon as his feet hit the ground, Jacques became a silent predator, moving in the shadows and stalking the humans. All his senses were alert even as the ever-present heartbeats and smell of blood became almost overwhelming, making him want to go over the edge. He knew better than to wait too long between feeding. Hadn’t he himself taught Dimitri that it was always dangerous to do so?
Jacques sent out a call into the night, entrancing his victim to him. She came out of the darkness, her golden hair glistening in the moonlight and her skin a healthy warm glow. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle with life, and Jacques cursed himself for his carelessness as she walked toward him.
Not Kelly; he couldn’t take from Kelly. Wait, wasn’t she still supposed to be at Dimitri’s?
She jumped and then smiled at him when he stepped into view; that she was pleased to see him almost brought him to his knees. “Jacques!” she exclaimed. “You startled me. You shouldn’t walk out of alleys like that at night.” Her brow furrowed. “What’re you doing downtown?”
“I might ask you the same question, cherie. I thought you were staying overnight at Dimitri’s and doing girl things with Cassie.”
She lifted a shoulder. “I was. I had decided to head for bed when Cassie told me Dimitri was on his way home and that she wanted to wait for him. How she knew he was on his way home when he hadn’t called or anything is beyond me.” Kelly winked at Jacques. “I think Cassie’s got the bug bad.”
She was teasing. He smiled warmly at her and tucked her hand under his arm. “I agree with you on both their accounts. But it is dangerous to be out here at night all by yourself. Please allow me to see you back to Dimitri’s.”
Her skin was cool to the touch from the night air, but pure waves of heat seemed to spiral up his spine as well as straight to his groin. It astonished him how she could so easily throw him off his guard. When she looked up into his eyes, he had difficulty swallowing. She was exquisite and he had to stifle the urge to reach up and run his fingers through her hair. He squeezed her hand and she nodded.
“Okay.”
“You never did answer my question. What are you doing here at this time of night?”
Kelly shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep, so I swiped Cassie’s car, ran by my apartment, then came down here to work on some steps Vincinni is bound and determined I conquer.”
“Ah, the work of a prima ballerina is never done.”
“How do you know I’m the prima? I could very well be in the chorus.”
Jacques grinned. “Cassie loves you and brags about your accomplishments.”
They walked in silence for a bit, before coming upon Cassie’s car. Kelly studied him from the corner of her eye. “Do you live in France?” she finally asked as he held the door for her.
Once they were both settled and she had pulled out onto the street, Jacques answered. “Yes, in a castle just outside of Paris.”
“A castle!”
Jacques laughed. “Yes, it has been in my family for generations upon generations.”
“Amazing! I have never seen a castle unless you count Dimitri’s.”
“Yes, it is similar in some ways, but mine is much better, of course.” He laughed, and Kelly joined him. Her laughter tugged at his insides, and he had to catch hold of himself at the strange stirrings that he felt in his heart. Heart! When did I get one of those?
Staring at the golden beauty beside him, he felt a rush of desire and hunger rise and knew he first had to get her home immediately, then help Dimitri resolve the issue of Gabriella and finally return to Paris ... for his own sake and for Kelly’s.
They arrived at Dimitri’s. Rowlin was standing at the door, his expression stern, but Jacques thought there was a hint of a smile in the manservant’s eyes. “Glad to see you made it back, Miss Mathews.” He nodded and then left them alone.
Clearing her throat, Kelly motioned for him to enter. “Aren’t you coming in? Cassie and I found Rowlin’s stash of ice cream.”
He curled his fingers into fists at his sides. Already he could feel the warmth of the sun and knew he would not have time to feed. He could not bring himself to bespell and take from her. “Thank you, but no, I think I’ll turn in for what’s left of the night.”
There was no disguising the look of disappointment that crossed Kelly’s face. “Oh.”
“I’ll just be out back in the guesthouse.” Tilting her chin up, he gently brushed her lips with his own. It was a slight touch but it left him feeling oddly breathless. “Good night, Kelly,” he said quickly, then moved swiftly around the estate. He dared not go through the house to get to his destination, or he might not make it there. It would be Kelly who’d suffer then.
As soon as he was out of her sight, Jacques raced toward his guesthouse, the sun’s warmth ever present at his back. Hurrying into the small building set behind the main house, he mentally commanded the floor in the master bedroom to open. A heavy slab of stone slid away. The soil that filled the ground below was not of his homeland, but would serve its purpose to help him rest. Jacques knew he would need all of his strength in the days to come; both he and Dimitri were certain Gabriella was preparing to strike soon.
Once the soil and slab closed over him, Jacques sighed in relief and let the sleep of the dead claim him.
* * * * *
Cassie groaned and rolled her eyes, glaring at the man sleeping in the bed beside her. “Open the door, Dimitri. I need to go to work.”
You should stay here with me. She could hear the humor in his voice, yet there was an underlying seriousness, too.
No, I have to go to work.
Cassandra, Gabriella is going to make her move soon. I feel it, and so does Jacques. Stay here where it is safe.
“Dimitri, please. I can’t live locked away from the world.” She bent over and kissed his brow. “Kelly and Rowlin will go with me while I check in. I promise I won’t stay long and will get everything I need to do my work here.”
He opened his eyes and looked at her, then lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. “Hurry back.”
Cassie’s lips met his in a quick peck, then she smiled at him. “I will. Sleep well, and I’ll see you at sunset.” She rose and quickly walked through the opening doors before he could change his mind.
* * * * *
Cassie went through all of the files on her desk, dismayed by how quickly they were piling up and trying to decide which she should take back to Dimitri’s.
“Should I have Rowlin come in and help you carry your mountain of paperwork?” Kelly laughed and lifted a stack. “Damn! What in the world are you going to do with all of this?”
Cassie scrunched her face at her friend, then chuckled. “I have to get all of this done, and soon, or I am going to have angry curators on my hands.” She stared at the piles of folders. “Dimitri has things set up so I can get these done at his place, and Mr. Harper said it would be okay.”
“Cool. Do you want me to start bringing these to Rowlin so he can begin to put them in the car?”
“Sure, go ahead. Let me grab a few more things, then I’ll help, too.”
Kelly left the office, and Cassie snatched some files, then her laptop before heading for the door.
The sun was shining brightly in the mid-morning sky, almost blinding her. She moved toward Rowlin and Kelly where they were putting the files in a box into the back of the Lexus, which was parked at the employees’ side entrance. She was startled when a hand roughly shackled her wrist and spun her around, causing the files to scatter everywhere and her laptop to drop to the ground. She cringed when she looked up and saw Craig smirking in satisfaction.
“Hello, love. I’ve come for you.”
Chapter Twenty
“Craig, what are you doing?” She tried to twist from his grasp, but was surprised at his unyielding strength. “Let me go! Please, you’re scaring me.” She was indeed frightened; the look in his eyes seemed wild. She sensed it when her fear touched Dimitri and knew that he
was now awake and alert.
Cassandra!
“Excuse me, sir, release the lady.”
Craig turned on Rowlin. “Get out of here, or I’ll tear you apart!”
With a force and speed that surprised Cassie, Rowlin struck Craig, sending him across the concrete to strike the museum wall, chipping and cracking the building where his body struck.
Kelly and Cassie both cried out, but Craig seemed unhurt and uncaring as he rose with a wicked smile and charged at the older man, who stood waiting. At the last possible second, Rowlin sprang into the air and landed safely beside Kelly and Cassie.
Cassie grabbed his arm, bewildered. “Rowlin, how are you -- he -- the both of you doing this?”
“I’m Dimitri’s human servant; he gave me his strength in blood. My life is pledged to him. My opponent must also have received blood from a master, hence his resilience.” He tossed the car keys to Cassie when Craig charged again. “Get out of here!” Then he turned his attention back to the other man, who screamed as he rushed toward Rowlin once more, catching the servant around the waist and ramming him backward into the Lexus, denting the vehicle.
Cassie shrieked, feeling like she was reliving the New Year’s Eve attack on Dimitri. She went to aid Rowlin, but Dimitri’s voice boomed in her head.
No, Cassandra! Get away from there. Gabriella is controlling Craig. Run!
Sparing one last look at Rowlin, she grabbed the stunned Kelly and practically flung them both into the car, started the engine, and sped away. Cassie was in tears at leaving Rowlin and peered in the rearview mirror. She saw Rowlin throw Craig through the windshield of a nearby car, but Craig, unfazed, jumped up from the broken glass and flung Rowlin through a building window like he weighed nothing. What was happening?
Beside her, Kelly’s sharp gasps and disbelieving sounds told Cassie that her friend had seen the same things. “What the hell is going on?” the other woman demanded. Cassie hesitated. “No! I deserve an answer and you will tell me!”
Cassie kept her gaze split between the road and rearview mirror, her concern for Rowlin uppermost on her mind. She couldn’t keep her secrets any longer; Kelly had a right to know. “Dimitri is a vampire, and so is Jacques!”
She glanced at Kelly for an instant and realized her friend’s face was probably a match for her own when she’d first found out about Dimitri. “I know, you think I’m nuts, and it seems unreal.” She gulped in a deep breath. “I didn’t believe it either when Dimitri told me, and I was just as angry with him, but they are vampires. I’m so sorry you were dragged into this.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Kelly’s patent disbelief made Cassie’s face flush.
“There is another vampire, a woman named Gabriella. She’s after me, and I think she has something to do with what’s happening back there.” Cassie could feel the other woman’s turmoil, see it written all over her face. “Kelly, please trust me. I’m sorry I’ve kept this from you, and I wish you hadn’t become involved with all of this.” Fresh tears filled Cassie’s eyes and she wiped at them with the back of her hand. “I’ve never lied to you before, Kelly.”
Cassie slowed down so she could look Kelly straight in the eye. Their gazes met, and then Kelly covered her mouth, her eyes widening.
“My God, you are telling the truth.” Cassie watched as various expressions crossed the other woman’s mind face.
“How long have you known?”
Cassie sighed. “Since before the new year. That was why I broke things off with Dimitri for a while, and it was his family’s portrait at the museum.”
Kelly sucked in a breath. “How is it possible?”
“I don’t know, Kelly, but it is.”
“How long has he been --” Kelly obviously saw the horrified look on Cassie’s face. She spun around in her seat. “It’s him!”
Cassie wondered briefly about Rowlin, then watched her mirror as a blue Camaro came speeding up behind them. She stomped the gas pedal to the floorboard, but the Camaro quickly closed the distance between them. The Lexus skidded and screeched around the curves along the road.
“Hurry, Cassie, hurry!”
“I am! I can’t go any faster!” Cassie voice rose with her fear.
“He’s gaining on us!”
“I know!”
Cassandra, please stay calm. Cassie knew Dimitri was pacing the confines of his chamber and felt his barely controlled fury.
I’m trying!! But he’s catching up. I don’t think I can outrun him, not on these curves, or we will be in the ocean.
Cassie checked the rearview mirror again; this time she could clearly see Craig’s face and the evil glint in his eyes. Her friend yelped and seemed to brace herself as she kept her grip on the handle above her head. Cassie clenched the steering wheel and prepared for the impact she knew was coming.
Craig’s Camaro rammed into the back of the Lexus, and the jolt slammed both women forward against their seat belts.
Kelly shrieked. “He’s going to kill us!”
Cassie skidded around the next curve and lost control, the car’s tires squalling as the Lexus spun sideways. She fought with the steering wheel to bring the car back around before they plummeted off the road. Distantly, she was aware that Craig continued to barrel down toward them, and her friend screamed as the other vehicle looked set to smash in the passenger side of Dimitri’s car.
Cassie jerked the wheel hard to one side and floored it. She was just a split second too late as the Camaro clipped the back fender of their car, sending the car spinning wildly across the highway and over the edge of the cliff.
Cassie and Kelly couldn’t hold back their cries of terror as the out-of-control vehicle plunged past the rocky incline. Cassie heard Dimitri’s cry of rage as he witnessed everything. She felt him crash his fists against his chamber doors, the wood exploding at the force of the blows, shards shattering everywhere.
The car’s descent perceptibly slowed as Cassie sensed Dimitri’s considerable will put to the immense effort. The car finally came to a shuddering stop on a rise near a rocky incline at the base of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Cassie had had no idea Dimitri was that powerful. Even as she thought it, she felt another sense, foreign this time, and wondered if Jacques had been helping somehow, too. Cassie and Kelly examined each other, shaking violently from the wild ride.
“Are you okay?” Cassie asked when she could get her breath back and calm down the frenzied pounding of her heart.
Kelly nodded, looking amazed that they hadn’t crashed and appearing as jolted as Cassie felt. “You?”
“Fine, but we have to get out of here.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the driver’s side door was ripped off its hinges. The women screamed, and Cassie fought against the hand that reached in and roughly grabbed her shoulders, dragging her out of the car.
Dimitri’s wrath spilled over her and she saw the red haze of his rage form in front of her eyes. She looked up at Craig’s gloating face, clawing and prying at his hand even as Kelly cursed and held onto her from inside the car.
“You bastard!” Cassie hissed.
He laughed.
Then Kelly scrambled out and toward them, flinging herself at Craig. “Get away from her! How could you do this?” She struck at him with her fists.
Craig roared and struck Kelly across the face, and she flew back from the blow, hitting her head against the rocky wall of the cliff and slumping to the ground.
Cassie cried out and reached for her friend, but Craig kept his rough hold on her. He slung Cassie over his shoulder and strode over the rise toward the ocean as she pummeled his back and demanded to know where they were going.
“To meet your new mistress.”
Cassie screamed Kelly and Dimitri’s names, her wails ringing in her own ears.
* * * * *
Dimitri bellowed and stood seething at the damaged entrance of his chamber. He wanted nothing more than escape from the mansion and race out into the dayligh
t. He cursed his helplessness, railing against what he was.
He touched his mind to Cassie’s, tried to learn where Craig was taking her. All the while he sent his love to her, showering her with his warmth and tenderness as he felt the terror coursing through her like a living, breathing thing.
Cassandra. Hear me. I am with you. Always, I will be with you.
He could taste her tears as she responded. Dimitri, I’m so scared.
I will come for you.
I don’t know where we’re going. We’re below the cliffs somewhere, and Kelly’s hurt and unconscious.
Dimitri sifted quickly through her mind, saw how her friend had been injured, and then searched through Cassie’s eyes and thought he recognized the area. Many shallow caves spread throughout the cliffs, but there was a larger one hidden among the others. He knew Gabriella must be waiting for Craig and Cassie there.
I don’t think I can be brave. He clenched his fists as her words sobbed in his head, tearing at his heart. Oh, God, help me.
Cassandra! He called desperately, as he felt their connection weaken.
Dimitri ... The contact was broken so suddenly that he fell back stunned.
You two lovebirds can chat later. Gabriella’s malicious laughter filled his mind, and then just as quickly as it had appeared, she was gone.
Dimitri’s anguish and fury took hold of him and wouldn’t let go. He stood stock still and blindly lifted his head, his bellow shaking the walls.
Dusk was a long time coming.
Chapter Twenty-One
Slowly returning to consciousness, Kelly sat up, pressing a hand to her forehead and opening her eyes. Everything spun around her for a nauseating moment and she gasped at the sticky blood smeared across her palm. Taking deep breaths, she very carefully rose to her feet and waited for the dizziness to pass. As her queasiness somewhat settled, she touched the side of her aching head and felt a lump and gash there. Looking around her, she saw the wrecked Lexus and the smashed Camaro.
Cassie!