The next morning, before dawn, he sent her on her way with a simple compulsion to forget that he had ever existed.
It was heavenly.
And…
It was misery.
Alexzandre was thinking about one specific woman, and she wasn’t one he wanted in bed.
He was thinking about his sister.
Maybe it was time to come out of hiding and travel to the United States. After all, he had family there that would welcome him in and make him feel less alone.
He had a sister who loved him.
Maybe he would contact her and take a little trip. Don’t get him wrong…Italy was gorgeous and the women—they made him forget of his old mate and their unhappy existence.
For the first few weeks, he mourned her loss. Even though she nearly got him killed and she’d betrayed him, he still had feelings for her.
After all, they were mates even if it was one sided.
No, she wasn’t his true mate, and he saw that now. Still…she had been his only family for so long.
He missed that connection.
Maybe that’s why he was using women to occupy his time. They were a welcome distraction from his screwed up life.
Alexzandre had made up his mind.
Tomorrow, he would send word by messenger—the way they had discussed—and he would sneak into the city to see his family.
It was risky, especially since his council believed he was dead, but he was willing to take the risk.
He needed to see her and relive the happier moments of their youth. That is, if she and her mates would allow him.
It wasn’t as if they parted on a good note.
She’d loved him with all her heart, but he was so damaged by the truth that he couldn’t bear to be near his own flesh and blood.
He’d been so very wrong.
Jolie was his baby sister, and she was protecting him. There was something so wrong with that. It actually angered him that he’d allowed her to do it.
He was the one supposed to be watching over her.
And he would.
His parents would want it that way.
As he was lost in thought, reminiscing about his sister, there was a knock on his door. At first, he was hesitant.
It wasn’t as if he was expecting company. He’d yet to go out for the night to hunt for some blood, energy, and sex. He wasn’t sure who would be at his door.
“Alexandre, it is Sophia. Open up, my love.”
He grinned.
It looked like the little Italian minx was coming back for a second round of sex. The previous night hadn’t been enough. It was funny how she didn’t slip under his compulsion, but he let it go. Now he wouldn’t have to hunt.
The prey had come to him.
“I’m coming, love,” he offered. “What do you need? Are you here to roll around with me some more?”
He opened the door.
Unfortunately, it was done without scanning.
That was his second mistake.
His first?
It was allowing the woman to his home after she flirted with him. In front of Alexzandre, she stood with five large men flanking her.
He prayed they weren’t her brothers.
Shit!
It had only been some wild sex, and nothing more.
“Who are you?” he asked, weighing out his options.
The largest stepped forward after Sophia welcomed them inside his home. “We’re the Tueur and we have need of your services, Alexandre.”
Double shit!
If the Tueur was at his door, someone was going to be dying, and he suspected it was going to be him.
“You need my help? You must be mistaken. I can’t see how I can be of any assistance to you.”
He scanned the group, trying to gauge his odds. There was a decent chance he’d survive, but the odds weren’t in his favor.
Five against one sucked.
Plus…he hadn’t fed.
Well, there was one thing he had to do before they overpowered him.
“Can’t we discuss this?” he asked, moving so fast that the woman who betrayed him never saw it coming. Before she knew what was coming, she had a hole in her chest.
Why stop there?
While he had the element of surprise on his side, he was onto the next vampyre before anyone expected it. It wasn’t as if he was a child. At nearly nine hundred years old, he was an ancient and that was his advantage.
One Tueur went down, as he exploded in a puff of dust. Before Alexzandre could inflict any more damage, he felt the silver knife and the crush of the other four Tueur on top of him.
So this was his destruction.
Here was how his life would come to an end.
This wasn’t the way he pictured himself going down. It had always been in battle—honorably—with the enemy’s blood on his hands.
His life had definitely been a disappointment. It all started going downhill when Goethe had taken him and his sister in.
Reaching for his sister, Alexzandre had just enough time to tell her goodbye. He only hoped she’d heard him.
So much for seeing family.
So much for another chance at proving he could keep her safe.
He couldn’t even protect himself.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Paris, France
The phone rang.
He was on it so fast that it barely had time to pause before the second ring. He knew who was calling, and he couldn’t wait to see what she had to say.
If this went well, he’d be one-step closer to Jolie and ending her life. The vampyres in Italy had one specific mission, and they wouldn’t let him down. While Jolie Harcourte had expected an attack and was braced for it, her brother wasn’t so lucky.
They would catch him off guard, and they would bring him back there.
He was now leverage.
Alexzandre was nothing more than a way to get to the woman carrying the new destroyer. This had been easier than he thought.
He was thrilled by the progress.
“Master, we have him.”
“Is he hurt?”
There was a pause.
“What happened?”
“He attacked before they could subdue him. We have casualties.”
“Please don’t tell me he’s one of them.”
“He’s not, Master, but Sophia is dead. She was the first one to go down.”
That pained him, since she was one of his favorite chew toys when he was in Italy. The woman didn’t mind rough sex, and her blood reminded him of the sweet smell of cherries on a summer day.
Well, he’d replace her.
“That’s fine. Dump her body where no one will find her. We don’t need to call out the hunters on us. That’s a mess I don’t need on my hands.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Bring him to France, and we will lure the woman to us. I don’t care how you get him here—just make sure he survives the journey—and is intact. I don’t care if he takes down twenty men. No one is to kill him. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Master. We will get him to you—and alive.”
“If you do, there is a reward. I have four humans in our prison. You may take them to use as you see fit.”
“Men or women?” he asked.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, the women fight more.”
He laughed at the vampyre’s honesty. Normally, he wouldn’t even entertain the minions, but they’d managed to get him a piece of the puzzle.
For that, he’d tolerate quite a bit.
“They’re all women, and they’re beautiful.”
There was laughter.
“He will be there in good condition.”
That was all he could ask for when it came to the man. Hopefully, he’d be more than happy to help them find Jolie Harcourte.
If not…
Well…
He’d suffer until he died.
The choice would ultimately be up to him
.
Hanging up the phone, he sat back in his chair, fingers steepled at his chin. A part of him couldn’t believe this was happening.
A part of him couldn’t believe that they were one step closer to making his plan work. When he heard the knock on his door, he summoned the visitor into his office.
It was the woman.
“You’re smiling. That must mean my plan was a success,” she said, grinning at him.
“You have no idea. He opened the door, he was subdued, and he’s on his way here to be questioned.”
That pleased him.
And it pleased her.
Her revenge was unfolding as planned.
“Can I offer you something to drink? You look like you need some blood.”
She would never turn that down.
Never.
“What vintage do you have?” she asked, perching on the corner of his desk. When he didn’t protest, she crossed her legs, and swung one of them.
“Blonde or redhead?”
She laughed. “I love redheads. I’ll have some of her.”
He was enjoying her company. This woman was depraved, and it reminded him of his past.
Hell!
It reminded him of his family.
His mother was exactly like this woman, and he had loved her dearly.
He pushed a button on the phone, and spoke into the intercom.
When he hung up, she was curious.
“You’re using technology? Why not just call your men?” she asked, referring to using his mind.
He leaned back in his chair, checking out her body. “I can’t. I don’t share my blood with anyone. As head of the Tueur, that would be dangerous.”
She understood that.
Before she could ask anything more, there were two screams and a struggle as two well-built vampyres pulled two women into the room.
She hopped off the desk and moved toward the redhead. Since there was a blonde too, he must have a preference.
“Go ahead,” he offered. “You’re my guest.”
She ran her hand down the woman’s face. Immediately, she calmed. She must have thought she was safe.
That amused her. Now, how should she do this?
She knew he was watching and curious, so that meant proving she could be as callous as him.
There wouldn’t be compulsion. Instead, she went with fear.
That always made the blood that much sweeter. All that adrenaline was perfection to her taste buds.
“Help me!” wailed the one girl.
She batted her big eyes at the prey. “Hush, child. It’s time to have some fun.” With her claws, she tore them down the woman’s chest, ripping her shirt from her body and drawing blood.
The woman screamed and began begging for her life.
She didn’t care.
Weak women pissed her off.
Women who didn’t deserve life should die in a puddle of their own foul blood. It was only fitting. She hated humans, and this woman was destined to be nothing more than food for her and their kind.
Instead of speaking, she leapt at the woman, taking her to the floor. She was pinned beneath her.
“I’m hungry.” With that, she pushed her fangs into her mouth, her eyes bled black, and she tore into her throat.
Then she began gulping her down in greedy sips. It was brutal, violent, and oh so satisfying.
This was the way that her kind should live—not hidden from the humans.
He watched from the desk in amusement. He loved a woman who was into her food.
There was nothing sexier. When you took a woman out and she merely sipped, that was a waste. Now this woman got into her meal, and that was exciting.
It turned him on.
As she devoured, making a mess of the woman beneath her, he simply snapped his fingers, and the blonde walked his way. She was in the haze.
“You’ll feed me.”
She nodded, climbing onto his lap.
Had the other woman not been there, he would have taken them both to bed and destroyed their minds, bodies, and souls.
Now he’d have to focus on his guest.
As he checked out her ass, he grinned.
Maybe he’d have some fun later. He wondered if she liked her sex as wild as her feedings.
If she did….
He may have found the woman after his own heart.
It was lonely at the top, and now that Sophia was dead, he needed a replacement. This vampyre was one step closer to catching Jolie Harcourte, she didn’t want money in payment—only revenge, and she didn’t care about the worthless humans.
She was perfect.
“Bon appetite,” he said, before taking the blonde’s head in his hands. “You’re going to taste delicious.”
The blonde said nothing.
She couldn’t.
Soon, she was dead.
∞ Chapter Four ∞
Monday Late Evening
When they started the conversation, Jolie was pretty calm, but with each passing moment, she looked less and less enthused. Her face held no emotion, but her eyes…
Yeah, they were filled with it.
When they finished, it was time for her to begin asking questions.
She deserved some answers.
“Whose idea was it to lock me in the house while you two were out trying to save me?” she asked.
Jacques coughed, covering a smile.
Oh, the fireworks were about to begin, and he knew it. The tone in her voice was very ‘Primus’, and it was going to be directed at their other mate.
Flynn was in for it.
Jacques knew because he’d been on the other side of that look many, many, many times before and each time it sucked.
“I was the one who opted to leave you behind,” Flynn stated, lounging against the headboard on their large bed.
She focused on him.
“I see.”
“Good because I don’t see the problem,” he stated.
Jolie could feel her blood pressure going up with the smug look on his face and the condescension in his voice. It was rubbing her the wrong way, and she wasn’t going to put up with it.
Yes, she understood.
Yes, she knew they were afraid.
But come on!
They’d been down this road so many times before. She wasn’t going to be the damsel in distress.
It wasn’t her thing.
“Whose idea was it to give me a demon babysitter?” she asked, continuing her questioning.
Flynn raised his hand. “Again, I’m guilty as charged, your honor.”
She focused her lavender gaze on him. Oh, he needed a wakeup call.
“Jacques, can I have a few minutes with our mate? We need to have a private discussion over tonight’s events. I don’t think you need to hear it.”
He patted his mate on the back. “Good luck, and Jolie,” he said, getting her to glance over, “we’re renting this place. Leave it standing so we can get our deposit back. I’ll go patrol outside and play guardian.”
She tried to calm herself.
Jolie wanted to rage around like a maniac, but she had to have some control.
As she stood there, her hand rubbing absently over her belly, Flynn’s eyes never left her. It didn’t have anything to do with her being a predator, or dangerous, but everything about how damn sexy she looked all fertile and wild.
When the door was closed, Flynn sealed it. No one would be coming or going. This was going to be a cage match, so to speak, and they’d work it out.
“How dare you?”
“Rather easily. You’re carrying one of my children. It wasn’t a hard decision to make. In fact, I’d do it all over again.”
She glared at him. While his bossiness was sexy, there was a time and a place.
This wasn’t it.
“I’m more than a brood mare.”
“Yeah, you absolutely are.” Flynn knew to keep it easy. He didn’t want Jolie’s blood pressure spiking.
That wouldn’t be healthy for the babies, right?
“I can hear what you’re thinking!” she stated, getting more and more irritated.
“I’m aware. I let you into my mind. If we’re going to have a fight, it’s going to be open, honest, and for the right reasons.”
She began sputtering.
“The right reasons? What the hell, Flynn? What happened to the man you used to be? He was a lot less bossy, more understanding, and didn’t pull shit like this.”
He moved so fast, she didn’t even see him coming at her. She actually gasped when he appeared in front of her.
“The man I used to be died when you opted to do something stupid and reckless. Do I need to remind you of what that choice cost us? What it cost me?”
She stared at him. While she never should have phrased it like that, she wasn’t talking human Flynn versus demon Flynn. She was talking about …
Well, shit!
Maybe she was talking about that after all.
“That man sacrificed his life so the two children in your body had a fighting chance. That man gave up the only life he knew to follow you to New Orleans. That man loved you more than his own life, soul, and mortality. That’s exactly what happened to that man.”
She stared at him.
“You can be as pissed off as you want,” he stated. “You can rage around, act like a child, and hate me, but the truth remains the truth, Jolie.”
“And that is?”
“You’re seven months pregnant, you’re slower than you used to be, and you’re vulnerable. Until you give birth, I have to be overbearing, over protective, and guard you. Once you have our children, you’ll be let off that leash.”
“Flynn, I get that you want them born…”
He erupted in a howl of anger. It shook the room, making her take a huge step back.
“IS that what you think this is all about? Can you really look at me and think that my biggest priority in life is to get a child out of the deal?”
She’d never seen him this angry.
There were sparks in his now black eyes.
His fangs were completely visible.
And there were wing flutters with each step he took toward her.
Flynn was on the edge.
“I’m protecting you so you don’t die. I’m not doing it for a child. I’m doing it because I can’t bear to spend the rest of my eternity without you. You’re my mate, my partner, and my woman. This has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with the vessel they are arriving in.”
Dangerous Sacrifice (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 6) Page 5