Crimson Night (Night Series Book 1)

by R. S. Black

  “Dora,” Luc whispered excitedly, “this might be a ploy.”

  I rolled my eyes. No, really? I bit my tongue. I’d nearly blown my cover once; I wasn’t gonna do it again. Though Luc was beginning to aggravate.

  “Why do you need me? If you know how to get inside, then get inside. I’m not going to help you.”

  He curled his lips. “I need you to get in there.”

  “That’s fantastic.” I laughed.

  “What?” he asked, face hard and expressionless.

  I took a deep breath, savoring the moment. “You’re begging me to help you.”

  “I’m not begging you.”

  For the life of me, I couldn’t drop the smile. You wanna talk about irony with a capital I? “Admit it, Billy, you need me.”

  A muscle in his jaw flinched; his gaze burned hot. But I had the upper hand, and he knew it.

  I sauntered up to him, trailed my finger along the rigid length of his shoulders, and purred as his scent of sandalwood wrapped me up. “If you want my help, you’re gonna have to answer some of my questions first.”

  He bristled, and I smiled wider, licking my fangs with perverse pleasure.

  “Dora...” Luc wasn’t happy. I tuned him out. He wasn’t here. He didn’t come when I’d asked him to. I needed a way inside, and Billy was offering me that.

  I wasn’t completely helpless because this time I had the ring. First sign of danger, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. The heart might want what the heart wants, but I haven’t lived this long by being stupid. Reckless, sure. Stupid, never.

  The riddle that was Billy was eating me up. What was his plan? What were his motives? Maybe if I was lucky, I’d learn something tonight.

  I pressed my palm to his chest, then leaned in and hovered my lips a hair’s breadth from his. Every muscle in his body tensed up. I could feel the rush of his power seep through the thin material of his shirt. My arm grew warm where it touched him, tingling with the pulsation of it.

  His pupils dilated, and then his fingers dug into my waist, snapping me tight to him so that I could feel the evidence of his arousal rest hard against me. I trembled. Lust invaded my body, thick and heavy, and it was difficult to focus on anything other than my desire.

  “Pandora,” Luc said, and for once I was grateful for the interruption; it helped to ground me. “You’re starting to swirl with bands of red. Are you okay?”

  Was he picking up on my arousal? I bit my bottom lip. Billy zeroed in on the movement, and my pulse thudded hard. I had to talk with the priest without the stupid wire on.

  Our faces were so close, our lips nearly touching. If I stuck my tongue out, I’d be able to trace the seam of his gorgeous mouth.

  I planted my lips on his. He jerked, stiffened for a fraction of a second, then growled and dug in harder, making me squirm. I ran my hands up and down his back, feeling a slight bump on either side of his spine.

  His body strained against mine, his breathing heavy and full of need. The sound nearly made me come undone.

  “I’ll change,” I whispered into his mouth, then sucked his bottom lip into mine and gave it a quick nibble before letting him go. “But you owe me.”

  “Pandora, what are you doing? Woman, you’re killing me. You’re not going to help him, are you?” Luc’s voice had grown guttural and vibrated with another’s.

  I didn’t look back at Billy but simply picked up the box and sauntered deep into shadow. I wasn’t shy. I would have loved nothing more than to undress in front of him and watch Lust work her magick. But if there was any chance that he didn’t already know about the wire, I didn’t want him to now.

  I kicked off my shoes, unzipped my pants—making sure the book was still snug in the pocket—then shucked them off and folded them neatly. I didn’t want to leave the book here, but I didn’t have much choice. I carefully placed the folded jeans inside a vent unit and said a quick prayer that it would be here when I returned later.

  I felt his eyes on me, but this wasn’t the gaze that watched me like a lion stalking its next kill. This gaze was hot, promising dark, wicked delights.

  I yanked off my cap and pulled out the ponytail, mussing up my hair with my fingers so that it had a just-got-laid look to it.

  I glanced at Billy from the corner of my eye, then turned around, keeping my back to him. Which probably was a really stupid thing to do, considering I can never sense him creeping up on me, and this could have been his plan all along. Lull me into believing the threat gone and then strike. But I didn’t think so. Billy had bigger plans.

  That’s probably why I wasn’t really shocked by his seeking me out this way. Curious, yes. But not surprised. He’d had many chances to kill me and hadn’t. I’m not saying he wouldn’t; don’t get me wrong. I had no doubt his cold, black heart would love nothing more than to skewer my pretty little head on a pike with his trademark scroll wedged up my nasal cavity for all to see and admire.

  Just not yet.

  “Listen, Luc,” I whispered on a level human ears would barely be able to hear. “I’m gonna have to shut this off for a while.”

  “Don’t you dare!” I could almost picture him foaming at the mouth.

  “I’m sorry.” I shot a glance over my shoulder; Billy was still where I’d left him. “I’ll turn it back on when I can.”

  I pulled my shirt off, reached down, and flicked the switch off, hearing Luc scream obscenities at me until the final second. I breathed a sigh of relief at the blessed silence.

  Luc had never been here, so there was little fear of him porting to find me. We can only port to where we’ve been or what we can see. Bet the bastard was kicking himself now. Served him right.

  I grabbed the dress and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The sleeves were puffy, white lace at the seams and collar. A white smock overlay the pink, the skirt flared out, and it was all cinched at the waist with a... you guessed it, large pink bow.

  Was he serious?

  I snorted. Did the man have a milkmaid fantasy or what? This was the most ridiculous outfit I’d ever seen. Shaking my head, I slipped it on. I felt absurd, especially when I found the Cinderella pink slippers, white thigh highs, and matching hair bows still in the box.

  “Oh, come on,” I growled under my breath. “He’s got to be screwing with me.”

  “No. I’m not.”

  I jumped, twirled, and stabbed my finger at his chest. “I hate it when you do that.”

  He chuckled.

  Discombobulated and annoyed, I snarled. “What the devil are you, Priest? How the hell are you always getting the jump on me?” I didn’t mean to say it, but it was really starting to get irritating.

  “Turn around,” he said, not bothering to answer.

  I clenched my jaw, but did as he asked.

  He pushed my hair over my shoulder, then grabbed the zipper in the back of the dress and zipped me up. I wet my lips, nerves curling excited fingers through my stomach.

  He wrapped both his arms around my waist, and my heart seized like a current of electricity had been spilled through my veins. I groaned and dropped my chin to my chest, reminding myself to breath.

  He dragged the pink ribbon through his hand, the movement agonizingly slow, then he tied it and stepped back.

  I wanted to scream at him to grab me again, push my skirt up and screw me until I died from the unbearable pleasure. I closed my eyes and tried to count to ten, but he stopped me at three.

  “Put the shoes and hair stuff on.”

  My lips twitched. For all that he was hot, he was still such a man. Hair stuff. “Barrettes,” I corrected.

  He shrugged. “Put it on.”

  I glanced at the shoes. “Not that I don’t want to please you, ’cause, oh, believe me, I do.” I patted my chest and gave him a sarcastic smile. “But why can’t I forgo the fugly shoes and barrettes? I’m a woman, if you hadn’t noticed. If you have some little-girl fantasy you’re trying to live out with me, you should know I don’t do that sorta thing.
Pretty much where I draw the line.” I flipped my hair back over my shoulder for emphasis.

  It was time I start to get some answers.

  If I bothered him, even a little, he didn’t show it. “Put them on. I’ll tell you why when we get inside the club.”

  “Wait.” I held up my hand. “There’s nothing in Sanguinary.”

  He gave me a tight-lipped grin, the type that said I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. I clenched my fists and started toward him.

  “We don’t have much time. Put it on, all of it, then we’ll talk.”

  “You’re sick. You know that,” I muttered and shoved my feet into the shoes, grabbed my hair, parted it down the middle and made pig tails. “There.” I held out my arms. “I must say, never would have pegged you for the pervert. Want me to call you Daddy now?”

  His lip curled as if he wasn’t sure what to make of me anymore. I set my jaw, crossed my arms below my breasts, and shoved them up so that he knew regardless of what I was wearing I was still a woman, not a child.

  He looked where I hoped he’d look, then he nodded as if to say I know. “Follow me.”

  Billy jumped off the roof.

  “Show off,” I mumbled, peering over the edge. This building was at least thirty feet. No way I’d be able to jump straight down. But I could hop from balcony to balcony.

  I made easy work of it. The dress, though poofy, only came to my knees. I was on the final balcony when the urge to have a little “accidental” fun with my costume hit me. I bit my lip to stop the grin, grabbed the metal railing and hopped in such a way that the skirt flared out around me, exposing my sheer pink and black thong to him. I made a big theatrical show of pushing my billowy skirt back down, muttering low under my breath for good measure.

  Billy lifted a brow.

  “What?” I gave him my best innocent look.

  His eyes flicked down to my skirt.

  “Oh. Oops,” I giggled, having too much fun with this. “You caught that, did you? If I’d known I was gonna be playing dolly for you tonight, I’d have worn Hannah Montana Underoos instead of the see-through thong.” And with that enticing thought, I then primly rearranged my bows and gave him a saucy wink. “Ready whenever you are, Daddy.”

  His lip curled, and I laughed.

  Chapter 20

  I’m not sure what Billy did, but I felt a shiver of magick, and somehow he parted the sea of people waiting to get inside the club without a spoken word.

  A kid with a wicked, long green Mohawk and piercings through his brows, chin, and nose, cocked an eyebrow when he saw me. To others he was weird, but for him, I was the weird one.

  I couldn’t help myself; I pointed at Billy’s back and said in a stage whisper, “He’s got a serious Dad fetish.” Then I shrugged.

  Billy turned with a growl, grabbed my hand, and nearly yanked me off my feet. “Daddy says stop talking.” He swatted my rear hard so that even through the layers of fabric I felt a hot tingle.

  I yelped, shocked. My cheek burned. I couldn’t believe he’d done that. But then I realized something even more disturbing. I wanted him to spank me again, and this time without the clothes on. Just thinking about him working my backside with my black leather paddle made my nipples bead.

  He gave me an evil grin as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. I snapped my fangs at him and he laughed.

  Once inside, Billy scanned the room for several seconds. I leaned in to try to be heard over the sound of the music. “What are you looking for?”

  “C’mon,” he said, jerking me forward. He made a beeline straight through the crowd. He bumped into several people, but all of them reeked of alcohol and drugs and could not have cared less.

  He growled. “He’s in the john. We’re gonna have to wait.”

  I frowned. “He? What? Okay, enough.” I swatted his chest, snaring his attention. “I’ve been more than patient with you.” I tapped my slippered foot. “You either tell me what’s going on or I hightail it out of here. You need me; I don’t need you. Or have you forgotten that?”

  “You want inside the club, don’t you? This is the way in?”

  Nice diversion. Wasn’t gonna work though. I shook my head. “I think we’ve already established you have a supposed”—I did finger quotations—“way in. What’s your game, Priest? You’ve tried to kill me three times already; you think I’m stupid enough to believe you’re done with me?”

  He struck, so quick I didn’t even see his blur. His arm snaked around my waist, and before I knew it I was smashed against his solid chest, our bodies swaying in time to a beat only we could hear.

  My heart thumped so loud in my ears I was sure he’d hear it even over the din of the crowd. For a moment I was speechless, lost to the feel of him, the sensation of his strong fingers running up and down my spine.

  If his intention had been to kill me, I wouldn’t have been able to stop him. Even in front of me, watching him, I hadn’t seen him strike until I was already in his arms. Neph move fast, but this...

  “I scratched the crap out of your face last night, and you’re already healed. Who the hell are you? What are you?” I whispered.

  Billy traced my cheek. “I’m not your enemy.”

  I stopped dancing, alarm bells in my head clanging, loud and obnoxious. “What are you doing to me? Why the games?” Angry, I shoved him back. “Don’t tell me you’re not my enemy. Of course you are. Your kind has killed mine for centuries. You hunt my people, and you expect me to believe you’re not my enemy. Ha.” I shook my head. “You see a girl, and automatically assume I’m just gonna fall for your nice-guy routine. Well, I’m not,” I said through clenched teeth and yanked on his tie, dragging his face to mine.

  His eyes narrowed. My skin prickled with the rising thrum of our power.

  “Let’s get one thing straight right now, you and me. I may want to screw you until I turn black and blue, but I don’t trust you worth anything, Priest. So if you’ve got me thralled, might want to cook up another way to kill me. I’m not gonna let you take me down so easy.”

  He grinned and again I didn’t see him move. I was back in his arms, his hands exploring my back, making a mockery of my words. Violence and lust warred within me, my need for his blood dwarfed only by my need to feel him inside me.

  “One day, you’ll know the truth,” he said, mint breath fanning my ear and raising goose bumps along my body.

  “I know it already,” I moaned, clutching his back, wondering about the ridged bumps running vertical down it. “And one day, Priest, I will kill you.”

  The vibration of his laughter rumbled through my chest, making me moan and writhe on his leg to try to stop the ache building between my thighs.

  He could laugh all he wanted, but a demon always kept her word. I would kill him, even if the thought of it was killing off a piece of my soul.

  Then he moved his hand across my shoulder, and when he touched my breast, it was like flames shooting down my belly and settling in my aching center. I forgot everything in that moment, the vamps, the strange club inside a club, the fear, everything but him. I ached, burned for him. He cupped me, thumb flicking over my nipple, and I grunted, on the verge of spilling over into the little death of orgasm.

  Then he traced his finger along the underside of my breast, feeling the wire.

  My stomach clenched. He said nothing. But I knew he’d felt it. Mouth dry, I watched as he continued to explore me with his hands. He traced the flare of my hip, my thigh, hiked up my skirt, and when his fingers grazed my naked flesh I cried out, jerking against him. The sweet torture consumed me until I nearly wept from it.

  His arm wrapped tighter around my waist. I nuzzled the side of his neck, and dragged his familiar scent deep into my lungs.

  He found the black box taped to the inside of my thigh. I stilled, growing cold, and gave him a hard look, daring him to try to rip it off.

  “Who’s listening? Who gave you this?” He clenched his jaw.

  It was nice, for
once, to have the upper hand. I gave him a secretive smile, but said nothing.

  A furtive movement caught our gazes at the same time. My eyes grew wide, and I pointed at the tall man I’d seen walk down the alley yesterday. He was coming out of the bathroom, head low and cutting a path through the people with hurried footsteps, headed for the door.

  “I know him,” I hissed.

  “C’mon,” he growled, nearly yanking my arm out its socket as we raced after the man.

  “Hey!” I snapped, pulling myself free of his death grip. “Need that arm, thank you very much.”

  “Just keep up,” he muttered, shoving people aside, their disgruntled oaths ringing bitter in my ears.

  The tall man’s head bobbed out of sight the minute he walked out of the club.

  “You take the left, I’ll take the right. Don’t let him get away,” Billy snarled, pointing in the direction I should go.

  I didn’t stop to argue with his orders, intrigued myself as to what the tall man was up to. I ran, eating up the blacktop as fast as my Cinderella flats would allow. But I didn’t find him.

  I circled the length of the building before finally catching sight of Billy tucked behind several rows of empty beer crates, straddling a figure on the ground, hand at his neck.

  I knelt by his side, sucking in air. The tall man’s eyes were wide, bloodshot, and filled with such panic I could taste the acrid bitterness on my tongue.

  I glanced from Billy, who looked like a pit bull ready to tear the man’s throat out, to the man and back again.

  I licked my teeth. “So, umm, not to seem lame here or anything, but now might be a good time to tell me what you got planned, O wise one. Are we gonna kick his tail for breathing, talking, or just for the fun of it?”

  The man whimpered, and I had to admit to being a little disgusted. This was the same man who’d dragged a helpless child into whatever godforsaken thing was going on down there. I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for him. Actually, I kind of hoped Billy would agree to a pummeling. I popped my knuckles, leering down at him. I might look pink and girly, but this demon was ready for some action.