“Because ‘thou doth drive me to ale’ just doesn’t quite cut it in the twenty-first century like ‘you could drive a man to drink’.”
A giggle almost escaped her lips, but she fought to contain it.“Quit foolin’ around.”
“I’ve acclimated over the centuries. I had to. I pay close attention to trends, slang, the news, etcetera. Can you imagine how the neighbors would talk if I wore a doublet, a cape, and tights?”
“What the hell is a doublet?” Nina shook her head. “Never mind. You’re still avoiding the question. How did this happen to you? Did this vampire bite just you or your entire family? I mean, Svetlanna’s a vampire, and she’s your mother. Where’s your father in all of this?”
His reply was cool. “My father’s dead, and Svetlanna isn’t my mother. Not biologically anyway.”
If words were bombs, those very fuckers he’d just spoken would be spinning around, hissing violently before they exploded. Nina’s shock was evident. Confusion came only after the concern and sadness she felt, knowing only too well what kind of loss that equaled. “I-I’m…sorry. I didn’t know. You guys look nothing alike, but I guess I just thought you looked like your dad.” Her frown eased, and her eyes softened.
Greg tilted her chin upward. “I like a contrite Nina. She’s much sweeter. My biological mother’s been dead a very long time.” His voice was tinged with sadness; though restrained, it was there. “Svetlanna was turned just before me. She sort of adopted me, and together we learned how to adjust.”
“So you became vampires together?” Now we were getting somewhere.
“Yep.”
Or not. “And that’s all you have to say?”
“What else would you like me to say, Nina?”
“How about you quit yanking my chain? We’re beating around the bush, and it’s pissing me off. I want you to tell me who created you, and I want to know now. I deserve to know who this shithead is, so I can find him and beat the information out of him. Stop with all the secrecy and spill, or I’ll be forced to freak.”
His laughter rankled her. It was crisp, harsh, and bordered on mocking her. “It wasn’t a he. It was a she, and I have no idea where she is.”
Shut. Up. A woman had done this? Somehow, in her mind, only the male counterparts were smarmy enough to do this kind of thing. She’d always just assumed men were the troublemakers when it came to turning folks. “A woman turned you?”
“Damn feminism, huh?”
“Who? Who was she?”
“A woman…”
“Damn it, Greg! What was her name, and where did you last see her? The annual blood drinker’s ball?”
“Actually, I think it was Christmas 2005.”
Nina wrapped her fingers in his freshly pressed shirt and pulled him to her. Which was a mistake, if her body had anything to say about it, but she plowed on despite it. “What-is-her-name?”
Greg surrounded her wrists with his hands, clamping them so tightly she lost the grip on his shirt and reared back, but he didn’t let them go. “Lisanne. Her name is Lisanne.” He said her name between clenched teeth, like it literally had to be pulled from his jaws.
Finally. An answer. Nina sagged against him for a moment, drawing an uncanny strength from his presence and another one of those unwilling responses from her body. A body that, since she’d fed, was now very aware of everything, including the rigid line of his crotch. His eyes told her she’d gone way far. Maybe too far.
She couldn’t reconcile his anger about this woman Lisanne, if he liked being a vampire so much. The question still remained, had he been turned willingly, or had he gone down with a fight? His statement of sympathetic understanding and his anger led her to believe he hadn’t been willing. His reluctance to tell her who his creator was—a stark contradiction. If he hated this woman, why wouldn’t he give her up with much less pulling of the teeth? Why would he protect her identity? Was she mean? Could he get in trouble for giving this bitch up? Oooooh, maybe some crazy punishment was involved if he told her.
This was a WTF moment, fo sho. As in, what the fuck was going on? Nina decided he was already riled enough. She’d clearly opened some wounds and poured salt on them. Letting go of the how and why of Greg’s origins seemed wise at this point. Not that she was afraid of a good old-fashioned verbal spar or anything, but contrary to popular belief, she did know when to can it and…He. Was. A. Vampire. ’Nuff said. “Okay, so why don’t you tell me how to find this chick?”
“I did tell you.”
“Nah, you gave me some shit about how you haven’t seen her since Christmas 2005. I don’t think I believe you. If she’s in charge of this clan crap, then there must be a way to contact her. Surely you clan-eese keep in touch, talk from time to time?”
“Um, no, and no one said she was in charge of anything.”
“If she made ya, she’s in charge.”
“No, she’s not. She may be my faction’s creator, but many of us have branched out, broken off, and created our own clans. Yes, she’s the person responsible for my creation, but she doesn’t own me.”
Wow, talk about all het up. His face hardened when he’d said Lisanne didn’t own him.
“Jesus, effin’. There are more of you than just this one clan?”
“Hundreds of us. Thousands, I’d venture to guess. Our clans are much like the politics of humans. They’re many and in all varying degrees. We have zealots, pacifists, conservatives, and rebels, too. Though, I’m sure you’ll be relieved to know my clan’s take on things is probably by far the least likely to offend a human.”
Holy Hannah. How did these people go unnoticed? “Who’s in charge of your clan?”
He presented her with another overconfident smile. “Me.”
Greeeeaaat. “Does this mean you’re the boss of me, because you turned me?”
His chuckle was thick, vibrating through her ears and reaching far into her chest. “Yeah, it kinda does.”
“Fat chance.”
“Your only chance.”
Fucknuts. She wasn’t going to get into who was the boss of whom. If she could find a way to return to her mortality again, it wouldn’t matter what he bossed around. “Does this Lisanne have a phone number? An email address? Something? Any way to find her?”
His face clouded, his eyes darkening. “You know what boggles my mind, Nina?”
“What?”
“If you think I’m diabolical enough to want to keep you a vampire, what makes you think Lisanne would be any less likely to want that as well? No matter whose clan you’re a part of, you’re still a vampire, and if you think that’s what I secretly want, then we all must want that, right?”
Um, well…she was reserving judgment for now. “Forget it. I don’t care what anyone wants. I only know that I don’t want to be a vampire and if there’s a shot in hell of me regaining my mortality, I’m going after it. This is my life we’re talking about here, and one less vampire in this kooky scheme won’t be the end of the world. Got that, Bat Boy?” She loosened a finger from his grip and wiggled it under his nose.
He nipped it, letting his incisors elongate. The act itself was primal, enticing, and made her want to lick them. “Loud and proud, baby.”
Nina shuddered. The visual of his mouth on hers returned with a vengeance. “Put your teeth away. So how do I find her?”
His shoulders shrugged, the rise and fall of his shirt brushing the longer lengths of his milk chocolate hair. “I have no clue. We don’t do the Secret Santa thing at the office much.”
Exasperation finally got hold of her, and she screamed her rage, “Arghhhhhhhhhh! You do so know, and what I want to know is why you don’t want me to know!”
“Huh?”
Enough pussyfooting around. “If you don’t tell me where this chick is, I’m going to—”
“What, Nina?” Greg ground the question out, hauling her to him with a rough jerk, fusing every inch of their flesh together. “Don’t threaten me,” he whispered against her ear, leaving a hot shiver in
its wake.
Her eyes flashed a challenge. “I just did.”
His lips whispered across her sensitive skin. “I can promise you the tactics you use with everyone else won’t fly with me. I’m not much intimidated by your loud mouth or your Bruce Lee take on life.”
Her comeback hitched in her throat. She wanted to tell him she’d show him just what going kamikaze on his ass was all about, but dayum, he was mad-hot when he wouldn’t take her shit. She’d never encountered a man who not only rose to the occasion, but virtually dared her to bring it.
And she had to stop and begrudgingly admire that.
However briefly.
“I’d take my hands off of me, if I were you.” It was the best she could summon while she warred with the notion that his hands on her, his body slapped up against hers, was a total contradiction to how she felt about this whole hot mess.
Greg’s chuckle slid from his lips in satiny ribbons of mirth. “Or you’ll what?”
Well, she’d—she’d…she couldn’t think when he was in such close proximity. She was so lost in the hunger she felt from deep within. Lost in the crazy craving to consume this man, lap up every last lickable inch of him, drive her own body closer to his, until they were one tangled entity of flesh. His teeth elongated again, and Nina watched in rapt fascination as he lowered his mouth to the spot on her neck, grazing the tender flesh with the lightest of pricks. The rush of warmth gathering at the apex of her thighs and the beading of her nipples was so close to unbearable it made her weak, leaving her clinging to his shoulders for support.
A crazy visual raced across her mind’s eye, making her arch her neck as she envisioned him drinking from her.
Fuuuuuck. This just couldn’t be. Wanting him to take a hunk out of her was ludicrous, preposterous. There were other “ous” words, too, but she couldn’t think of them when he was so close, wedging a hard thigh between her legs and taunting her with his hot lips.
Her back bowed, allowing the full weight of her spine to fall on his forearm, thick and muscled. Nina scrunched her eyes shut, gulping. No, no, and no. Only her will of iron kept her from succumbing to the powerful pull his body seemed to have on hers. She walked her fingers up along his chest, ignoring the low moan he emitted and grabbed back onto his shirt.
Her words were ragged as she hauled herself upward to look him in the eyes. “Let’s get one thing straight. You-are-not-the-boss-of-me.”
Greg’s chiseled face glowered down at hers, his teeth fully visible. “Oh, but I am, and struggle over that all you will, Nina, but I’m in charge whether you like it or not.”
Ohhhhh, nice display of some serious bad-ass. And if she were a smart girl, which she prided herself on being, she’d pause to remember that he’d been a vampire for a long time. If the books were correct, the longer you were a vamp, the stronger you became. It was like some crazy video game where you built up life force points or something. Now if she chose to venture any farther over this line between them, she might reach the point of no return when it came to his patience.
Ugly. Things could get ugly very fast.
Options?
Get the hell up out of his shit and let it go.
Yes, that was definitely the safest route to take in light of all that fire and brimstone he was shooting at her with his eyes and easier than admitting she was having a momentary lapse into the realm of the pansy-assed.
Nina let her body go limp in feigned submission. “Let me go.”
And he did, just seconds before he pressed his lips to hers and then whispered, “I think you’re getting the hang of this.”
Her nostrils flared in reignited anger, only to catch a scent she was familiar with. A scent that made her want to scream with longing for her old life. “Oh, my God, you ate a Ring Ding just before I got here, didn’t you? How could youuuuuuuu?”
He grinned, that boyish grin he reserved for a good neener, neener. “Yeah. I did, and I was hungry.”
Growling out her anguish over not being able to eat junk food anymore—or anything for that matter, Nina clapped her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away from her. “Fuck you, Gregori Statleon. You bloodsucking, mortality stealing, junk food eating jerk! I’ll figure out where to find this Lisanne. If you won’t tell me, maybe I’ll look some of my fellow clan members up and ask them!” She strode over to the fridge and reached in to grab several packets of blood, juggling them as she headed for the door.
“And don’t go thinking I won’t do it either,” she yelled her threat.
She put a package of the blood between her teeth just so she could slam his door behind her for effect.
So, yeah. Take that shit and—and…hoo, boy…
Nina looked down at her hands, the blood still between her clamped jaw. Now here was a dilemma. Exactly how in theee hell was she going to explain all of this blood to the people who rode public transportation?
God, why didn’t she ever think before she reacted? Her hot temper had always been her downfall. She just didn’t know when to shut it. She had to win and win at all costs. Always have the last word.
Fuck, she was having one of those moments Marty was always yammering about, where you discovered you were caught up in an endless circle of the same result.
The door popped open behind her, and Greg’s face, partly shadowed by the streetlight, appeared. He stuck his hand through it and let a plastic grocery bag flutter to the ground. “Thought you might need one of these,” he said teasingly before quietly closing the door.
CHAPTER
9
“So Nina was here.” His mother made her way down the staircase, gliding her hand along the mahogany banister with a glib smile on her face.
Greg turned his back on her, striding to the living room to hide the smile on his face. “As if you couldn’t hear her. I think South Jersey heard her.”
“You like her,” she accused, coming up behind him and tapping his shoulder, forcing him to face her.
He let his head dip to his chest, clenching his jaw. “I want to strangle her.”
“Which is a clear sign you like her.”
“You’ve concluded this how?”
Svetlanna scoffed, rolling up the sleeves of her sweater. “You couldn’t care less about the women you bring home. You purposely find women who don’t want to stick around any more than you want them to. They know the score going into a venture with you, and you know it, too. You certainly don’t care enough about them to want to strangle them. Nina infuriates you, and it makes you boiling mad. Wanting to strangle her is a sure sign she’s gotten under your skin.”
He had to fight an ironic smile. “Who could possibly like someone like Nina, Mother? She’s not remotely likeable. She’s rude, she’s pushy, and to top things off, she wants to find Lisanne.” She’s also hot in a tomboy sorta way, she has killer eyes the color of black olives, and a mouth that you have dirty thoughts about, Statleon.
Svetlanna blanched, her pale skin going gray around her eyes. “That’s not good. Lisanne isn’t someone Nina can handle on her own, never mind the fact that we have other matters to deal with when it comes to that viper.”
The “other” matters should hold precedent for him, but he shoved them to the back of his mind, because Nina, slender and sloe-eyed, held court there.
“I heard you tell her you didn’t know where Lisanne was.”
“Which is the truth.”
“I know.”
He almost hated to ask, but his sense of honor made him. “Do you know where Lisanne is, Mother?”
“Hardly. And even if I did, I don’t know that I’d tell Nina. She’s raw right now, Greg. Finding that bit…er, Lisanne would only make things worse, and this crazy quest Nina’s on to get back her humanity just isn’t possible. But we have bigger things to contend with if we’re to stay in the moment.”
“Like?”
“Like your attraction to her. Don’t bother to deny it, Gregori. I know you almost as well as I know myself, and Nina’s a
real kick in the pants for you.”
More like a fucking kick in the gut. The very idea that a woman as brash and as loud as Nina could turn him on was making him nuts. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since she’d first passed out on his doorstep. “Her mouth is like the Grand Canyon—wide and cavernous. I’ve never been even a little attracted to a woman like that, and you know it, Mother.” With the wave of a hand he dismissed Svetlanna’s statement and wandered to his desk, pulling out his chair and dropping his tired ass into it. A round with Nina was like twelve with Evander Holyfield.
“That may well be, but it’s her opinionated take on life, her less-than-dazzled-by-you attitude that’s keeping you up at night. That’s new and refreshing, I’d suspect, given the women you usually consort with. There aren’t many women out there, human or vampire, who don’t fall at your feet because of either your power or your money. Nina wants neither. It would seem all of your charm and persuasiveness just doesn’t fly with Nina.” Svetlanna cast him a sly grin, clearly pleased she might have hit the nail on the head.
He shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Goddamn his tooth and that stupid dentist’s office.
“And the guilt you feel for biting her isn’t the only reason you can’t sleep. So don’t try and snow me.”
For the love of Pete. Not only did his mother know him, she had no qualms about using her knowledge as a weapon. He continued his silence, knowing it only solidified her suspicions, but he damned well wouldn’t openly admit it. Yeah, Nina’s too-skinny frame made him hotter than Hades, and yeah, those lips of hers were hard not to get lost in even when she was spewing foul language. And okay, all that dark hair that she tied up in a ponytail was of endless fascination to his fingers, fingers that itched to sink deeply into the silken threads. It was all he could do last night not to show up on her doorstep.
First, because she needed to be taught a lesson about biting the hand that fed her. Had she not shown up, he would have sought her out later in the evening. He wasn’t some monster who’d let her turn to dust, whether she liked to believe that or not.
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