Keeping Cambria

by Kitty DuCane

  The cool air against her face was welcome. She sucked in the fresh air and prepared for the next assault on her nose. When they turned to corner, she glanced over her shoulder, surprised that the twins weren’t following her. Didn’t matter. She didn’t need them to kill this guy.

  The man stopped, grabbed her waist, and she found her back against the brick wall. This guy was stronger than the others.

  “Hey, now. Slow down. Tell me what you want.”

  He pressed his body against hers, and she pushed against his shoulders. “Let me go, you bastard.”

  His face tilted back, fangs flashed, and he leaned over. She heard a growl right before he sailed through the air as if he weighed nothing.

  When she was free, she pulled her sword and looked up to see one of the V’s fighting with the feral. A fist landed on the vamp, and blood and spit flew. Suddenly four more vampires appeared in the alley out of thin air. Swords appeared in both hands of each twin, and they started hacking the new guys as well. She took a step forward, only to be pinned to the wall by an unseen force.

  “Which one of you bastards has me tied to this brick wall?”

  One of the twins flashed her a grin, but she had no idea which one. She hated that she couldn’t move; it made her feel helpless, sort of claustrophobic. “Let me go!”

  Cambria pulled as hard as she could against the invisible binds, but she couldn’t even pry her finger off the damned wall. “Bastards!’

  All she got was laughter. She closed her eyes and put all her strength in breaking the force field.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, ma’am.”

  Her eyes popped open, and the other blue-eyed, brown-eyed, too-handsome bear stood in front of her. At least they weren’t triplets.

  “Make your brother let me go. I need to defend myself.”

  “Women don’t fight. Besides, that’s what I’m here for.”

  “You idiot. There are two against four. We should join the fun and even the odds.”

  “Nah. My brothers are just playing with them. I’m supposed to make sure none of the blood gets spattered on you.”

  “Oh. My. God. Insanity runs in the family.”

  He gave her a dazzling smile, complete with fangs. “Yes, ma’am. It does.”

  She had to admit that there wasn’t a scratch on either of them. Their opponents were bleeding from several cuts, and their skill with a sword was impressive. The twins each wielded two weapons as if they were merely plastic kiddy swords.

  “I think they’re showing off.”

  Suddenly, three more vamps materialized. “Listen, dickhead. Let me go.”

  “Sorry.”

  Dumb ass. “Well at least go help them.”

  “They’re having fun.”

  What was it with men? Showing off instead of getting the job done. One of the V’s kicked his opponent so hard, the vamp flew through the air toward her. The bear just stepped in front of her, a sword materialized in his hand, and he sliced the weapon clean through the guy.

  “Great,” he said. “They let me play.”

  She rolled her eyes at the juvenile attitude. “Get your big ass out there and help them.”

  “No can do. They will kick my butt. They’re my older brothers. I can’t go against them.”

  “You’d let them die instead of helping them?”

  “If you want this ended, open your mind to them and tell them to stop.”

  “What?”

  “They’ll listen to you. Just open your mind, reach for theirs.”

  This was stupid as hell, but what did she have to lose? She’d known vamps were powerful, but she was learning more about their abilities. Cambria opened her mind. Okay, you twins. Do they even hear me? Release me. I don’t like being tied up, not to mention that you need my help.

  She already cares about us, bro.

  Yeah, too bad about that tying up. I can see her bound to our bed and…

  Our? Warmth spread though her at such a sinful thought. Oh, stop it. I care that you’re outnumbered, and I can’t help you.

  What will you give us?

  A headache if you don’t stop this.

  How about a kiss?

  What? No. No way.

  Then I guess we’ll keep fighting.

  These guys were stubborn morons. Six against two were terrible odds.

  Okay. Okay. Just one.

  Laughter floated in her mind, making her feel way too easy. And pissed off.

  They both stopped fighting, and then the bad guys screamed and grabbed their hair. When they dropped to their knees, the twins sliced off their heads.

  She tugged against her invisible ropes. “Now let me go.”

  Fire flew from the sky, blinding her, and when she opened her eyes there was no indication that a war had been fought. Little cinders floating over the ground were the only evidence left.

  When she was free from her invisible bounds, she marched straight up to the twins and poked them both in the chest. “You were just toying with those…those things.” God, that sounded as if she were sympathetic to the monsters. “You should just kill them and move on. Anything can happen when you play with fire.”

  “Nah, we had everything under control.”

  “Of course you did.”

  Cambria turned and limped toward the street. She needed a bath and a bed. She was up to her ears in bullshit and needed to scrub it all away.

  “Why don’t you come home with us?”

  She stopped walking, turned, and studied his face. Right eye blue. “You’re Viper, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Listen, you two. I’m tired and ready to call it quits for tonight, and I sure as hell ain’t going home with you. Now, go put yourselves in your coffin and leave me the hell alone.”

  “How about a back rub? My brother and I are skilled at massages. We know all the pressure points,” said Venom.

  “And we can heal your ankle,” offered the other one.

  “No.”

  “Besides, you owe us a kiss,” said Venom. He was grinning like a schoolboy.

  “Don’t remind me. You can have your kiss some other time.” She stopped at the curb and prayed for a cab, but the street was deserted. She’d have to go back in the bar and call one.

  “Looks like you’re S.O.L.,” said Viper.

  Headlights appeared across the street. Please let this be a cab.

  The Mercedes stopped in front of them, and there was no mistaking that the third brother was driving.

  “Where did you get the fancy car, bro?” asked Venom.

  With a grin, he said, “I borrowed it.”

  “What? You people don’t own a car?”

  Venom opened the door. “Don’t need ‘em.”

  Knowing she would regret it, she slipped in the car, and Venom followed. The other brother rounded the car and slipped in the other door. It was stifling in the big car. The three men took up more real estate than the Sahara desert—and all the oxygen. Fire zinged from where her legs rested against theirs. God, if she didn’t know better, she’d think that she was a teenager on her first date. It had to be her exhaustion fucking with her mind.

  She sat ramrod straight, trying to maintain at least a little distance from them, but she could only make herself so small.

  Surprisingly, they smelled of earth and leather. They must have singed all the blood off of themselves. She’d had a dream or two about Viper. They were making love in the shower, in bed, on the kitchen counter—everywhere. It didn’t matter how late she worked at night, how exhausted she was, the dreams still came. One time, she had woken up ravishing her own clit. Now she was sandwiched between a pair and wondering what had possessed her to climb in the damn car.

  “Where are you staying?” asked the driver.

  “The roach motel on the corner of Wilcox and 9th.”

  “Take her to our place,” said Viper

  “No. I have my stuff at the motel.”

  “Bear will pick it u
p for you.”

  “I don’t want one of you things pawing through my personal items.”

  It was so quiet. Well, hell. She must have offended them. Bear broke the silence. “I promise not to paw or look.”

  “We can smell your pain, Cambria,” said Venom. “You need more than aspirin for that sprain.”

  “Are you doctors, too?”

  “Nope, but we can use our energy to heal you,” said Venom. “Then you’ll be good as new.”

  Cambria dropped her head back on the seat and closed her eyes. Didn’t these people ever give in? Why did she bend so easily to their will? Was she really that desperate for a decent bed? Hell, this car’s back seat was better than the beds she’d slept in lately. They could just pull this thing over and she’d sleep like a baby right here in the back seat.

  They each grabbed a hand and massaged their thumbs into her palm. She jerked her hands back, but they didn’t budge. But God, it felt so good.

  “We’ll give you a total body rubdown.”

  “No. Listen. I don’t know what your plan is, but forget it. I’m not interested.”

  “Oh, you’re interested, sweetheart,” said Venom.

  “Yeah, you’re wondering what it’ll feel like to have two men make love to you.”

  What did their brother think about their comments? Was talking like this a normal thing for vamps? She kept her eyes closed and tried to control her breathing. It had ratcheted up when they mentioned a threesome. Katie, her roommate in college, better known as Kissing Kate, had kept Cambria hot and bothered with details about her ménage à trois.

  The only problem with these twins was they were dead.

  Weren’t they?

  Even though they radiated heat, she’d heard that their hearts didn’t beat. In her book, that meant they were dead.

  Her eyes popped open when the car stopped, and she could tell they were in the high-rent district of Atlanta.

  “Vampirism must pay well.”

  “It is wealth accumulated over hundreds of years,” Venom said.

  “That makes sense.” Everybody could get out of debt and get ahead if they had forever.

  The hotel doorman opened the door, and Venom slid out and then helped her. There was no mistaking the shock on the old man’s face.

  “I take it that you don’t come through the front door.”

  “Nope,” they said in unison.

  “Any luggage, sirs?”

  “No,” said Viper. “We were never here.”

  The man held the ornate door open to the stately old building. “Very good, sir.”

  “Did you fuck with his mind?”

  “Yep. By the time the elevator doors close, he’ll forget he ever saw us,” one of them said.

  They rode up to the eighteenth floor in silence, but she was extremely aware of them looming above her. She was six feet tall in her do-me shoes, and they still towered above her.

  The elevator opened into a massive marbled foyer—apparently, they had the whole floor. Viper took her coat, and Venom headed to what looked like a den or sitting area. He poured himself a drink and then downed it.

  “You want one?” he asked.

  “No. I’d rather wash the alley off of me.”

  “Right this way.” She followed Viper to a bedroom. “There’s a robe behind the door.”

  “Thanks.”

  When the door closed with a soft click, she sank down on the bed. What was she even doing here? Cambria brushed her hand against the silk spread. Who would have thought that a vampire would like silk beneath them? Or maybe their coffins were somewhere else.

  She shucked her clothes on the way to the bathroom, desperate to get the grime off her. The bathroom, which had an enormous tiled shower, was bigger than her last motel room. After adjusting the water to as hot as she could stand it, she stepped into the spray.

  Man, that felt good. It had been a week or so since she had a hot shower. All the dives she stayed at recently only had lukewarm water on a good day. Cambria was surprised that the vamps used shampoo, and there was conditioner, too, but she wasn’t complaining. It probably was for their midnight snacks.

  After washing her hair and scrubbing her body, she shut off the water and snatched a towel from the towel bar. When she wrapped it around her body, she discovered that it was heated. Luxury never ceased for the undead, apparently.

  She toweled off her hair and slipped on the robe. It was ten sizes too big, but what was the thing made of—a real sheep? She’d never felt anything so soft.

  A knock at the door had her wrapping the robe tight and tying it off. “Yes?”

  “We’re coming in.”

  Her impulse was to say no, but this was their house, and she was a guest. Besides, she was covered. She opened the door, and both of them loomed outside. She stepped forward, but they didn’t move. “Are you going to let me by?”

  “Nope. Sit in front of the mirror,” Viper said.

  “Why?”

  “We’re going to brush and dry your hair,” he replied.

  Their gazes heated and her core flamed. Her gaze dipped. Yep, two impressive erections. “I just thought you were being nice to me. I didn’t know I had to put out.”

  “You don’t,” said Venom.

  “And we don’t like that expression,” said the other twin.

  They advanced on her, and she backed up.

  Viper’s mouth quirked. “There’s a chair under the vanity,” he said. “Just take a seat and leave the rest to us.”

  She had to admit there was something about this that appealed to her inner sexual vixen. If Kate could see her now! As if under some kind of spell, she bent and pulled the chair out. Why was she agreeing to this? She had a mission, and doing these two wasn’t on the path.

  She sat and faced the mirror. Their hair was free of braids and wet, their faces cleanly shaved, and they had changed into silk pajama bottoms. There was no mistaking their cocks—notable erections. Perhaps vampires were addicted to sex as well as the blood.

  One of them pulled a brush from the drawer and a brush magically appeared in the other twin’s hand. “Hey, can you conjure up a glass of wine?” I’m going to need it.

  “Wine and cheese are next on the list.”

  Because they were so tall, they dropped to their knees. They parted her hair and each took a side. She wasn’t surprised when they started with the ends and worked their way up. Their hair was as long as hers, and that was the only way to brush long hair. Or did they just go poof, and it was done?

  Cambria didn’t care right now, because she was slowly getting lost in the soothing strokes. She studied her beauticians and realized they would have ladies lined around the block if they opened a shop. The one named Viper stood and pulled out a hair dryer. While he dried her hair, Venom picked up her hand and massaged it. They had a thing for her hands.

  She’d seen these guys kill. Now they were pampering her.

  When the dryer stopped, Cambria’s eyes popped open and she looked at Venom. “What is wrong with you two? Why are you doing this?” And please tell me why I’m letting you.

  “It’s hard to explain.”

  “Well, give it a try.”

  “Why don’t you come in here and eat, and let us fix your ankle,” said Viper.

  Her belly growled. Shit, even it was under their control. She followed them into the bedroom and sat down at a linen-covered table complete with flowers and exquisite china. Did they drag it in here or did they poof it in here? Did it matter? “Am I under your spell?” she asked. She actually wanted to be, because it would make her feel better and at least explain her actions.

  Viper lifted the plate covers to reveal a plate of finger sandwiches and another of fruit. She took a sandwich and wolfed it down. God, she didn’t know the last time she had consumed food. Venom poured her a glass of champagne. She took a sip. She’d never had champagne at three in the morning, but she kinda liked it.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”


  “If you mean are you under vampire glamour, the answer is no,” said Venom. “We couldn’t, wouldn’t do that to you.”

  She turned to Viper. “And what about you? Would you put me under glamour?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You don’t sound as convincing as your brother.” Even though they were twins, she’d noticed that the differences. Venom hadn’t demanded anything from her.

  “I’m a man of action,” Viper said.

  Those simple words caused her womb to squeeze. That and the look in his eyes. She bit into a ripe strawberry to divert her mind from taking a trip south. “What exactly do you want from me?”

  “We want the kiss you owe us,” said Venom. “And then some.”

  Chapter Three

  Based on their erections, that was possibly true, but Cambria felt like there was something else.

  However, it didn’t matter. For some crazy reason, she decided to dip her toe in the kinky side of sex, a one-night stand, and then she’d resume her mission. Her brain was apparently fried, the only possible explanation. They were so handsome, a girl’s wet dream. And she wanted to be like Kissing Katie. But she had to know. “Are you dead? ‘Cause doing a corpse is out of the question.”

  They both grinned, softening their rugged faces. “No,” said Viper. “We’re very much alive. Our hearts beat; we bleed red.”

  “We eat, drink; we’re almost human,” interjected Venom.

  She shot him a look. Damn, they believed that malarkey. From what she’d seen, there was nothing in their little bag of tricks that made them human.

  Venom slid his chair from the table. “Give me your injured ankle.”

  If he could fix her ankle, that was even better. She gave him her leg, and he grasped her foot and settled it into his lap. Wow, that was impressive.

  He held her gaze before saying, “Yes. It’s for you.”

  She’d had just enough champagne to ask coyly, “What’s for me?”

  “Our erections.”

  The word our started a slow burn down low and she felt her pussy moisten. Even though she wasn’t a virgin, she’d never had anybody talk dirty to her. In fact, she didn’t remember much talking at all, just a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am-won’t-be-seeing-you-around.