by Jessica Lee
One male seized Ana by the arms.
“What the hell are you doing?” she screeched.
With gloved hands, the other slapped a two-inch-wide silver-plated collar around her throat. Ana wailed and clawed at her neck. Smoke trailed from beneath the metal, and the stench of burning flesh permeated the air. She launched toward the stairs, but the foot-long chain attached to the back of the restraint halted her escape.
Ana staggered, then sank to her knees. “Why are you doing this, Seth?” she cried, her voice hoarse. “I don’t understand. What have I done?”
Seth rose, approached her, then reached out and stroked her cheek. “Done? Why nothing, liebling.” He shook his head. “But that is the problem, isn’t it.” Seth cocked his head, relishing the sheer panic gleaming in Ana’s eyes. “Since I suspect you have not shared the very information I’ve been after for years.” He tsked. “How greedy of you, Ana.” Seth dropped his hand and whirled. “I think it’s time you were punished until you decide to relinquish what you know.”
“What are you talking about?” Ana gasped. “Why would you think I’ve been holding out on you? I’ve served you for more than a century—in every way possible.”
“That you have.” Seth chuckled. “And quite deliciously, I might add.” He raked her with his gaze and lowered his voice before continuing. “It is a shame I may have to kill you, liebling.”
“Seth!”
“Onto the table with her,” he commanded. Seth lifted his chin and indicated the wheeled steel slab on the other side of the room, resembling something medical examiners would use for an autopsy. Ana screamed in protest, but his minions did as directed. In seconds, they had her stretched out prone, wrists bound, and a drape of silver mesh placed over her torso.
There would be no way for her to phase now. Not without risking decapitation from the collar and dissection into a million little pieces from the confining cloth.
“Now, Ana,” Seth cooed as he neared her trembling body. “Are you ready to start talking about what you know about Eve?”
Ana’s gaze darted in his direction. “Eve…? I know nothing about your mystery vamp,” she spat, and her lower lip trembled.
“Is that so?” Seth smoothed the fire-kissed brown locks away from her brow. “Then why are your mental walls sealed so damn tight?” He gripped a fistful of hair at the top of her head.
“Because you have me locked down like an animal!” she cried out.
“True…,” he began. “But I think it may have something more to do with your attempt to hide the information regarding your meeting with a certain vampire from America called Guerino Lombardi.” Ana’s body tensed and Seth smiled. Yes. Body language was so revealing. Seth patted her head and continued. “You, of all people, should know that no one comes or goes from my territory, liebling, without my knowledge. Especially one as old as he. You got sloppy, Ana.”
He leaned in, watching as a lone tear rolled down the side of her face. “My informant tells me he was here to see you,” Seth whispered. “On behalf of Marguerite Devonshire. Next time, I would suggest not conducting your secret meetings in the open—where anyone could overhear.” Seth moved until they were eye to eye. The revelation of his words dug their claws into her psyche. Her pupils swelled, nearly filling the white of her eyes. “Now why would you keep your history with Marguerite from me—unless…” He reached out and seized Ana’s face with a punishing grip. “You’re hiding Eve’s whereabouts for her.”
“Please…Seth,” Ana begged. “I-I don’t know anything.”
With a flick of his wrist, he withdrew his hand and whirled around. “Drain her until either she talks or is a lifeless shell. And if the latter, take her head when you’re done and get her out of here.”
“No!” she cried out. “Seth, please don’t do this.”
Seth glanced back at her. His minions had gathered around her, and with gloved hands, exposed the vital areas of her body for the exsanguination. Uncovering her lower half, they spread her legs and locked her ankles in place with the attached manacles. The femoral artery would serve them well.
Without hesitation, the vampires tore away the fabric of her dress and lunged. Ana’s piercing cry filled the room. Seth’s pulse raced at the sights and sounds of the erotic, bloodthirsty frenzy. His cock swelled as fangs burst from his gums. He curled his fingers into a tight fist, claws sinking into his flesh. It was all he could do not to rip the other vamps from her body and feast on her essence himself.
“Seth…wait. I’ll tell you what you want to know.” Ana’s weak telepathic cry drifted into his mind.
“Stop!”
The minions lifted their heads from her open arteries. Crimson fluid dripped from their chins and extended fangs, their eyes black with bloodlust. The vamps trembled with the restraint required not to finish the job and reach their pinnacle in overindulgence. No other high compared with the intensity achieved from draining a human, thus becoming a DEAD, a Death Euphoria Addict. But the volume they would share from Ana—a vampire—would have been enough for a nice head rush.
Seth moved to Ana’s side. Her eyes fluttered open. The black had receded, becoming inky pinpoints at the center of now-faded moss-green irises. Seth cupped her chin, thrusting her gaze to meet his. He reached out with his mind and drilled into the recesses of hers. A small gasp followed by a groan escaped her lips under the harsh invasion. Seth could have gone slower, eased into her memories one slight push at a time. But he didn’t have the patience to be nice. Too many damn years had passed without a fucking thing to show for it. And all the while, this bitch had had the answers he’d been looking for. To hell with gentle.
Sights, sounds flickered passed his mind’s eye in a dizzying array of colors and patterns. Faces, some he recognized, some he’d never seen before, whirled, spinning as if on a carousel inside his head.
Marguerite.
There.
Seth zeroed in on her and opened his mind to all Ana held within her neurons related to the vampiress. The dump of information hit him with full force, swaying him on his feet. He gripped the side of the table for balance as his last meal threatened to crawl its way back up his throat. Seth breathed deeply through his nostrils and slowed the flow of data in his mind. Then suddenly, it was there—the one name he’d been searching for: Eve.
Seth grabbed and pulled on every thread containing her name. A slow grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. Yes.
The Rose’s Thorn.
Exactly what he had hoped to find.
Straightening, he smoothed the front of his jacket before turning away from the pale figure of the woman lying listless on the metal slab. He stalked toward the stairs. “Finish her, and then get her out of my house.”
Chapter Five
Magnificent.
The only word Eve could muster to describe the male lying on the cage floor. She couldn’t remember the last time any man had driven her to the point where she’d lost control like the previous night. Nor could she remember the last time she’d experienced an orgasm as intense as the one she’d felt with him. Damn. And he hadn’t even touched her.
Much less…
Eve chewed her lower lip, suppressing the groan in the back of her throat at the mere thought of having him fill her deep inside. Her gaze strayed from his face, down his bare chest, to the thick bulge at the juncture of his spread thighs. Warmth flooded her core, dampening her panties even more. She leaned in and wrapped her fingers around the silver-laced bars of the small cell. God, how could he still be hard after what they’d shared and the force of the mental blow she’d given him—again?
“Back for round two?”
Guerin’s deep voice dived under her skin and lifted every hair on her body. She gasped and jerked away. How did he do that? The effect was unnerving. She was the one in control here—not him. Always. Anything less meant death. She inhaled, settling her heart rate.
“Perhaps…,” she said. “I’m surprised you’re awake. It’s still early
in the afternoon,” she added in her most nonchalant tone. And she was a master at feigning indifference. Having spent most of her life shifting identities, she’d learned to become whatever person was necessary to stay alive. The fact that she may have cared about anything—or anyone—had never mattered.
“Put the cat down, Eve.” Marguerite snatched the small bundle of dark fur from her arms and tossed it onto the moonlit grass at Eve’s feet. “Do not get attached to that animal. I don’t want to deal with a crying child when you have to leave it behind.” Eve gave her head a slight shake in an effort to erase the unwelcome memory.
Guerin moved into a sitting position. The muscles along his arms and back flexed—rippled—a helpful distraction to keep her tethered to the present. He’d tried to suppress it, but she hadn’t missed the slight groan. The combination of a prolonged flogging and the silver cage had to be wreaking havoc on his nervous system.
Why he wouldn’t confirm what she already suspected and end this, she’d never understand. Her mother may have enjoyed breaking the humans and males who disobeyed her, but Eve had never taken pleasure in the act. Unless of course, the scene was something on a more personal level, a form of pleasure, not torture. That, she understood and even enjoyed on occasion. But the male before her was unlike any she’d ever seen. He’d taken everything she’d thrown at him. Soaked it up until his lust had become a palpable fog in the air. Her heart raced with the vivid recollection.
He rolled his shoulders. “What can I say? I’m eager to spend another day with you.” The smile on his face conflicted with the daggers in his glare. Guerin rubbed his hands over his upper arms, once more drawing her attention to the unusual tattoo on his right pec—an infinity symbol with a dagger piercing its center and dripping with blood. Eve had noticed it when she’d initially placed him on the cross and had wondered about its origin.
“I’ve never seen a tattoo like that one before.” She stepped closer. He stilled, then glanced down at his chest before returning his attention back to her. “What does it mean?”
“Nothing.” Guerin shrugged.
Eve met his stare. “I doubt it.”
A cocky grin tilted the corner of this mouth. “Then why don’t you use some more of your fancy mind mojo, take a look inside my head, and find out for yourself?”
Eve curled her fingers into a tight fist. “You know very well none of this would be necessary if it weren’t for the literal force field you’ve erected inside that skull of yours.”
The vampire shot to his feet and launched toward the bars. She almost leaped back, but caught herself when he stopped a breath away from the metal.
“If you can’t get what you want, beautiful, then why haven’t you killed me?” His gaze narrowed on hers, the dark-amber irises near molten with heat.
Beautiful? The word echoed inside her head, setting off a tornado of reactions. Physical and emotional. Her breath quickened. Other men had used flattery in the past in an attempt to get what they wanted. But none of it had held the power of Guerin’s voice uttering that one simple word.
Jesus…did he actually mean it?
Oh my God. Stop it, Eve.
Why did she even care? He was a spy. Had to be. A mercenary sent by Seth Keller to either capture or kill her. No other explanation made sense as to why Guerin was searching for Eve.
“I don’t kill unless I have a very good reason.” Eve turned away from the cell. Maybe if she didn’t stare at him, she could think with a level head. He did have a point. What the hell was she going to do with him? She couldn’t break down the wall in his mind. God knew she’d tried. And obviously pain would not force him to give her answers. Another scene like the previous one they’d shared and she might not be able to resist sampling everything he had to offer. Eve swallowed, trying to regain some moisture in the barren landscape inside her mouth.
“Then maybe you’re not so much like your mother, after all.”
Eve whipped around, her heart a frozen knot in her chest. “What did you just say?”
“I said, maybe you’re not your mother’s daughter. Because Marguerite would have already killed me.”
Oh, God… He did work for Seth. The hard lump behind her sternum tightened into a painful throb. Rage washed over her in a drenching tidal wave. Eve flung herself toward him and grabbed the bars, rattling the cage.
“You admit it?” she yelled. “You’re one of Seth Keller’s spies.” Shit. Why did being right have to hurt so damn bad?
“That’s not what you heard. I’m familiar with the name, though. It pays to know whose territory you’re treading on when passing through. But he’s not the master I serve.” Guerin never flinched. He stood there, his expression stoic. “You keep berating me to admit I’m his informant.” His gaze narrowed. “Yet why do I get the feeling it’s the last thing you want to hear?”
Eve started to open her mouth and slam him with a harsh retort, but realized at the last second that she didn’t have a clue how to respond. He couldn’t read her that well—could he? She hadn’t even admitted it to herself. He didn’t know a damn thing about her or what she wanted.
“You don’t have a clue—” A loud crash from above cut off her remaining words. She spun and ran for the stairs.
“What is it?” Guerin called out behind her.
She was about to find out and didn’t have time for twenty questions. Eve’s home was located directly behind her club and outside the city limits. The property was somewhat isolated, which was exactly how she liked it. Any unexpected noise or disturbance in her house meant one thing only: trouble.
Taking the stairs in a burst of preternatural speed, Eve made it to the top of the thirty wooden treads faster than a human could have taken two. And came to an abrupt halt.
Smoke.
The scent was unmistakable. Laughter and the sound of multiple voices penetrated the walls, followed by more shattering glass and the clatter of objects slamming onto the floor.
Seth’s team had found her, and the bastards were attempting to burn her out.
Adrenaline flooded her veins, jolting her heart rate and body into action. Eve bolted back down the stairs. How had this happened? Her head spun over possible scenarios as she scrambled for her keys to the small aboveground escape door. She had to get them out of there.
Them?
Eve froze, her fingers white-knuckling the key chain. Was she really going to save Guerin? If so, where would she take him? For all she knew, he’d led her pursuers here.
“What’s going on, Eve?” Guerin’s calm and smooth baritone voice washed over her. “I smell the smoke and your panic.” Eve snatched the ring from the hook on the wall and swung around, the metal jingling with her momentum. Guerin stood there, fisted hands at his side, watching. “Am I a part of your exit plan?”
“It appears I’ve been found, and they plan to either expose or fry me,” she stated, not bothering to hide the pissed-off edge to her voice. Eve marched over to the cage. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
His glare said “Fuck you.”
“Answer me! Before we both end up a pile of ashes before our time.”
“I’ve been telling you the truth.” He cocked his head to the side. “Why would you believe a damn thing I say now?”
“Dammit!” She shoved her hands in her hair, tempted to pull it out by the roots. “Why can’t you give me a straight answer?” He was driving her mad.
“If I were one of your enemies, do you think I’d let them barbecue me?”
Her head and chest hurt from all the conflicting emotions swimming around inside. But he had a damn good point. Smoke thickened the air, reminding her she was out of time.
Eve located the correct key and shoved it in the lock. A moment later, Guerin stepped through the door. Eve swallowed hard and sent out a quick, silent prayer that her instincts weren’t letting her down.
“This way.” She darted toward the rear of the basement and the hidden narrow door. It was their one chance for
survival. On the way, she grabbed the coat Guerin had been wearing when she’d abducted him. She tossed it to him since the male was still in his underwear.
“Thanks,” he muttered, and slipped it on.
“Humans in service to Seth will be waiting for us out there.” At the door, Eve stopped and glanced back at Guerin. “I take it at your age you can withstand a brief run through sunlight?” She cocked one brow in his direction. There was no mistaking the vibration of power rolling off the male. Power that said he’d seen more than two centuries. But even the eldest of vampires still couldn’t phase through full sunlight. Their molecules would incinerate from the UV exposure.
“Did you just call me an old man?” He flashed her a smirk.
Eve had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. “So I can presume that’s a yes?”
“Yes,” he replied with the same cocky grin.
“Good.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?” She shrugged.
“The sun…”
“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. All you need to do is focus on following my lead. When I open the door, we head left toward my car—a black Mercedes.” Eve turned away as a whispered “yes, ma’am” reached her ears. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Why was she saving this asshole? Eve opened her eyes and unlocked the heavy steel bolt securing the five-by-two slab of oak. She looked back, ready to give him the signal to haul ass, when all the air punched from her lungs.
Naked.
It was the only word her stunned mind could form. Eve spun in place, and her rear bumped against the door. Guerin stood there, completely nude, with his briefs and coat in his grip.
“W-wh-what are you doing?” Dear God, she was stuttering like a young girl who’d never seen “boy parts” before. Unbidden, her gaze slid down his body, over sculpted abs, and lower still to the impressive package between his legs. Granted, these were no ordinary boy parts. Oh, no. This was the full-grown kind of male appendage that made a woman’s heart pound, her palms damp, and other areas of her body even wetter.