Quinn opened the small refrigerator and withdrew a chilled bottle of water. “Glass?” he asked.
She shook her head again. “The bottle is fine. That way I know what’s in it,” she added defiantly.
He chuckled. “Eve, darling, I don’t need drugs to seduce you.”
She blushed hotly. “It’s not nice to gloat.”
He walked over and handed her the bottle, making a show of twisting the cap so she could hear the plastic tabs breaking. As she took the bottle, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry,” he said, but layered it with so much seductive power, she shivered.
“No, you’re not,” she muttered and took a long drink of water, as if trying to douse the heat of his presence.
He took a sip of whiskey and sat on the short sofa near the windows. “So, what are we talking about, then?”
Eve walked over and sat on the opposite end. She seemed nervous, avoiding his eyes, which made him intensely curious. He’d never given her any reason to fear him.
“Okay, first . . .” She paused, and gave him a narrow-eyed look, as if expecting him to say something sarcastic. When he didn’t, she grimaced and said, “You were right.”
She made it sound like an accusation. If this was supposed to be an apology, she sucked at it.
“About the vampires, I mean,” she explained. “How most of them are just ordinary people going about their lives, and if my brother had been killed by a man—a human, that is—I wouldn’t have gone out and started shooting random humans.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but she wasn’t finished.
“But I didn’t actually kill random vampires, either. I may have . . . overstated the scope of my hunts when we first met. For all I knew, you were just one more Sorley thug, and I needed to make you believe that I was no easy prey. But I was never out to kill every vampire, Quinn. Only the ones who worked closely with Sorley, the ones bollocks deep in his personal crime syndicate. Those are the ones I went after because I thought they’d lead me to the two I was really after. The ones who murdered Alan.”
Quinn tilted his head, studying her, waiting to see if she was finished. When it seemed she was, he said, “What about McKeever?”
She scowled. “Who?”
“Numbers. The accountant you were about to kill before I stopped you outside Sorley’s that night.”
“Oh, come on,” she said in disbelief. “I was never going to kill him. I just wanted information. He does all of Sorley’s books, you know. He knows everything.”
“Yes, I know. As for the others . . . Eve, just because a vampire, or a man, works for an asshole, that doesn’t mean he’s an asshole, too.”
“Well, I know that. But I told you, I was careful.”
Quinn sighed. They were never going to agree on this. “All right, then, tell me. What does this epiphany of yours mean for the future of my vampires?”
“Your vampires?” she repeated, confused. “I’ve never attacked any of—”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, for God’s sake, I told you, the rifle was a test. If I’d been trying to kill someone, they’d be dead.”
“A test where you used my people for target practice. What if your aim had been off?”
“It wasn’t. Don’t be such a baby.”
The look he gave her was definitely not amused.
“Fine. I won’t do it again.”
“Because I have your rifle,” he said dryly. “But let me get this straight. I’m right about your vengeance hunt against vampires, but it doesn’t matter, because you’ve only ever killed bad guys, and, besides, sometimes you weren’t really trying to kill anyone, anyway. Is that about it? Oh, and I think somewhere in there is an apology. It’s hard to tell.”
She gave him the bored look of a teenager, but then sighed deeply and admitted, “There is one other thing.”
“I can hardly wait.”
“You know that vampire I shot last night? The one with the crossbow?”
Quinn scowled. “Ah, yes, Barrie. The one you shot without my go-ahead and nearly—”
“He’s one of the vampires who killed my brother. I had to kill him. There was no choice.”
“Look, Eve, I get it. But you very nearly fucked up that whole situation. My people could have been hurt, because you couldn’t follow the one, simple order I gave you.”
“You think he was following orders when he kicked my brother’s head in?”
“Yes, actually, I do. Barrie was one of Sorley’s enforcers. You can bet he was doing exactly what Sorley told him to.”
She drank a sullen swig of water, then took her time replacing the plastic cap. “I’m not sorry I killed him.”
Quinn snorted a laugh. “You didn’t kill him. I did. Barrie was far too powerful to be killed by a single bolt to the chest like that. It’s too clean. A strong vampire can recover, especially if that’s his only damage. You’ve killed vampires, I’ll give you that. But you’ve never come up against one with real power. If you’d used that crossbow on someone like Sorley? Like me?” He leaned toward her. “I’d make you eat that bolt for dinner, sweetheart. And then I’d drain you dry and make you love it.” He straightened and said soberly, “And so would Sorley. Don’t doubt that for one minute. He’s the fucking Lord of Ireland, Eve. You don’t get that far by playing nice.”
EVE PUSHED HERSELF as deep into the plush sofa as she could, wanting distance between her and Quinn. He was so angry about this. She’d admitted he was right, what more did he want? And for him to laugh and say she hadn’t been the one who killed that evil fucker, Barrie Meaney? Not to give her even that much, when he had to know what it meant to her? Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe he was so lost up there in his super powerful vampire universe, where all he had to do was lift a finger and his enemies died, that he could no longer understand what it was like for everyone else. Well, fuck him. She didn’t care what he said. She knew she’d killed at least some part of Barrie. Maybe hers hadn’t been the last, fatal blow, but she’d weakened him. She’d been part of the precious team that had killed him, and she was going to kill his buddy Cillian, too. Because her brother’s death demanded vengeance, and she needed to finish it, so she could finally just stop.
She looked up to find Quinn eyeing her far too closely, as if he knew what she was thinking. He didn’t, though. If he had, he’d have been locking her up until this was all over. Or he’d have tried, she thought defiantly.
Across the room, a mobile phone buzzed angrily on a tabletop. Eve patted her pocket, finding her phone there. Quinn stood with an impatient noise and crossed to the sideboard, where he must have set it down while he was preparing his drink.
“Yeah,” he said, answering the call. “Really. All right, put him on.”
QUINN STUDIED EVE while he waited for the call to be switched over. She was hiding something. Her emotions, to begin with. Building walls between them. He wouldn’t permit that. She was his, whether she knew it yet or not. He could be patient, give her time to come around, but he wouldn’t let her deny what was happening between them. Call it chemistry, fate . . . call it what it was, fucking combustible attraction. But what it wasn’t, was something she could ignore. He wouldn’t let her.
A man’s voice on the phone said, “Sir. My name is—”
“What’s the message?” Quinn cut off the plummy sounds of Sorley’s flunky. The vampire claimed to be calling on behalf of the vampire lord and had insisted on speaking to Quinn directly. Quinn didn’t need his name or particulars. All he needed was the message he’d been ordered to convey.
The vamp sputtered a moment or two, then pulled himself together. “Lord Sorley requests your presence this evening. He said only that there are matters to discuss. I am not privy to—”
“Okay,” Quinn interrupted again. “Any particular
time?”
“At your convenience, sir.”
“Great. We’ll be there.”
“But, sir, Lord Sorley said only you—”
Quinn disconnected and called Garrick. He was sure Sorley had ordered Quinn to come alone. But Quinn wasn’t suicidal, and he didn’t take orders from Sorley. Garrick answered on the first ring. “My lord?”
“We’ve been summoned. Or rather I have, but I think we both know what this really is.”
“You think he’ll challenge you so soon? I mean formally? He seems more like the sneak attack sort.”
“I agree. He won’t want to give me much of a warning, so there’ll be no formal challenge. The only question is how much willing support he’s mustered among his people. It could be every vamp in the city. Hell, maybe the county. I doubt it goes much beyond that, but he can draw on the whole fucking territory, if he’s willing to kill a few vampires. And I think we both know he’s willing.”
“So, why agree to show up at all? Why not do it on your terms. You’re the challenger, not him.”
“Yeah, but I’m tired of the game. I want this part of it over with, so we can start rebuilding what he’s broken.”
“All right,” Garrick agreed instantly. “What’s the plan?”
The plan was simple enough. There wasn’t one. Without knowing what they’d face at Sorley’s, he had to fall back on tradition and hope it had become tradition for a reason.
When he disconnected, Eve was watching him with a glint in her eyes. “I want to go.”
He didn’t respond immediately, but just walked over and sat in the chair facing her, rather than beside her on the sofa.
“I’m serious, Quinn.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know that something big is going down tonight, and I know it involves Sorley. I want to go.”
He pretended to consider it, but tonight’s challenge was vampire business. Humans had no place there. If Sorley had a mate, she might be there. The same went for any other vampire who trusted his mate to hold her own in what was certain to be a violent battle. But he and Eve sure as hell weren’t mated. He didn’t even know how she felt about him, other than as a good fuck. And there was also the feeling he had that she was holding something back, that she had some other reason for wanting to go to Sorley’s. And until he knew what it was, he couldn’t trust her not to do something like she had the other night with Barrie. That had turned out well enough, because he’d been ready to kill the vamp anyway. But he was reminded that there was a second vampire out there who’d been responsible for killing her brother, a vampire who almost certainly worked for Sorley. If Eve spotted him and pulled a surprise like she had with Barrie, vampires would die. His vampires.
And then there was simply her safety. Because, regardless of how she felt about him, she was his. And he wasn’t going to risk her getting hurt or, even worse, killed. This was a vampire challenge. It would be fought with vampire weapons, which would certainly be fatal for his redheaded lover.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he said. And he was sorry, but only to disappoint her. “This is vampire business, no humans allowed.”
She studied him intently, searching for the lie in his words. She wouldn’t find it. Quinn had perfected a blank face long before becoming a vampire.
“All right.”
He stilled. He hadn’t known Eve long, but he knew this wasn’t like her. She never gave up without a fight. He made a note to have their vehicles checked for bugs, and to assign one of his vamps to keep an eye on her while he was gone. It would have to be someone powerful enough to control her, but who at least seemed harmless enough not to set off her radar.
“I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, but you can wait for me here,” he said, more as a test, than anything else.
She shrugged. “No. I’m going home tonight. To Howth,” she clarified. “I haven’t been by to see my mother, and she’s gotten after me about it.”
Losing patience, he stood and pulled her to her feet. “Don’t do this, Eve.”
“Do what? I don’t know what—”
He took her mouth in a hard, commanding kiss, his teeth clashing against hers, his tongue winding around hers, demanding a response.
Eve held out for a heartbeat or two, pretending not to care, not to feel anything, but the chemistry between them couldn’t be denied. With a deep groan, she melted into his embrace, her arms tightening around his back.
Quinn fisted a hand in her long hair, tipping her head back as he deepened the kiss, until one of his fangs tore the tender flesh of her lip, and the sweetness of her blood filled his mouth. He squeezed her against his chest, his arm a band around her lower back as he straightened to his full height. Taking her with him, he strode for the bed. He didn’t have time for this. His vampires were waiting, Sorley was waiting. But if he was going to die tonight, then he was going to have one final taste of his Eve.
Her legs were crossed behind his back when they reached the bed, pulling him tight against the heat between her thighs, her kisses as demanding and ravenous as his own. Her ass hit the mattress and her legs loosened as she reached for his belt, nimble fingers making quick work of the heavy buckle. Smooth leather slid easily through the constraining loops, before she slid his zipper down and wrapped her fingers around his cock. Leaning forward, she took him into her mouth and sucked him deep, her cheeks hollowing with the effort.
Quinn groaned, his hand on the back of her head, urging her forward. He wanted his cock buried in her sweet pussy, but her mouth was so damn hot and wet, and it felt so fucking good. Ripping her blouse open, he snapped the band on her bra and bared her breasts, squeezing the succulent flesh, weighing them in his hands as he flicked her nipples into flushed and swollen peaks.
Eve moaned around his cock, the sound a delicate vibration along his shaft that had him shuddering with desire as she took him deeper and deeper. He could feel her throat muscles working, struggling to swallow, the constriction caressing his full hard length. He pumped in short strokes, in and out, fucking her mouth. She looked up at him, raising only her eyes, while her lips remained wrapped around his dick. It was incredibly erotic, and he nearly climaxed at the sight. But he wanted her pussy, wanted to come deep inside her body.
Tightening his hand into a fist around her hair, he pulled her off his cock, her mouth coming free with an audible pop as he dragged her higher up onto the bed. Ripping her jeans and panties down her legs impatiently, he tugged one shoe off so he could yank the constricting fabric over her foot to make room for his hips between her thighs. Eve gasped, but spread her legs wide in invitation, her pussy glistening with arousal, the outer lips swollen and flush with readiness.
Quinn snarled as he slammed his cock into her tight channel, gliding through the creamy wetness of her sheath. He stretched her wide, one hand cupping her ass, tilting her higher and opening her up to him even more. Plunging deep into her sweet body, he began rocking back and forth, the hard pearls of her nipples scraping against his T-shirt clad chest with every movement. Eve was making hungry little noises, swallowing her screams with every thrust, until finally her pussy clamped down on his cock, and she shattered around him, holding him deep inside her as her climax went on and on, her inner muscles flexing and squeezing his length, while her nails scraped bloody furrows into his shoulders.
Quinn fought his own climax as long as he could, loving the feel of her hot, tight body around him, the sight of her lost in orgasm as his cock thrust back and forth. But, finally, it was too much. He drove himself as deep as he could go and climaxed hard, his release pumping into her sex, until he collapsed on top of her, one hand still twisted in her hair, the other cupping her delicious ass to hold her close.
They lay there together, breathing, until finally Eve muttered, “You weigh a ton.”
; Quinn laughed and rolled away, pulling her up onto his chest, with one possessive hand still petting her naked butt. They stayed that way until their hearts slowed and their lungs were no longer gasping, and then Eve patted his chest. “I’ve gone and drained you now, before your big meeting.”
“It’s not that big of a meeting,” he lied.
“Still, I don’t want that huge bodyguard of yours blaming me for making you weak in front of Sorley. Do you need blood?”
Quinn smiled at the eager note in her voice. Apparently, his Eve had decided she rather liked being bitten, after all. But he’d already spent more time with her than he should, and the others would be waiting. Why the fuck did Sorley have to pick this night to play his games?
He shook his head in regret. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. But as much as I’d love to sink my fangs into your pretty neck, and as delicious and tempting as your blood is, it’s not necessary. I’m strong enough that I don’t need to drink every night, and you need your blood, too.”
She sighed in regret, then stretched out her entire body, rubbing against him in pure sexual enticement. The witch. She sat up abruptly, her legs straddling his hips, as she fingered the tatters of her shirt. The buttons were gone, but there were no tears. Her bra, on the other hand. . . .
“Will you be late tonight?” She didn’t look at him, pretending to be casual, but he could feel the fine tension in her body as she waited for his answer.
He stroked his hands over her smooth thighs. “It depends on what Sorley wants, but whatever it is, I suspect it will take longer than it needs to. He prides himself on being a pain in my ass.” His hands tightened, holding her in place. “Will you sleep overnight in Howth, or come back here?”
“Here?”
He nodded. “My guards have you on their list, even if I’m not back.”
“Is it good to be on this list?” she asked, grimacing in disgruntlement.
Quinn (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 12) Page 31