A Taste of Love and Evil

by Barbara Monajem

  “If you pick up those shoes again, I will throw them out the window.”

  Instantly, her fangs slotted down. “You’re trying to keep me here again. Why?”

  He glanced at the tented towel around his waist. “I think at least one of the reasons is sufficiently obvious.” He shut them into the secret room.

  Okay, this she understood. Sex she could do. She sank willingly onto the mattress with him.

  Late afternoon sunlight spilled through a vent at the end of the room, illuminating dust motes and Jack’s face. His naked, uncamouflaged, beloved face. God, she had it bad. Softly, his fingers traced her features. Briefly, his lips touched hers. His hand rested on her shoulder.

  “What exactly did Biff say to Violet?”

  Rose tried to ignore the astonishing comfort of Jack’s embrace. This was just sex. “Biff told Violet he’d messed up last night. He said Constantine was livid. He was terrified of what Constantine would do if he didn’t find the guy they were after. Who else could it be but you?”

  Lightly, Jack caressed her arm. “If Constantine wanted to kill me, he wouldn’t send some two-bit thug. I don’t know why Biff told Violet Constantine ordered the killing, but now that we know Biff’s working at cross-purposes with the underworld—”

  “What?”

  Jack’s hand slid down Rose’s arm to her hip. His fingers took possession of her thigh. His thumb tantalized her groin. “After lurking in Violet’s garden to check on you and almost getting caught, I went to Blood and Velvet to look for bugs. Supposedly, no one knew I would be at that hotel but Violet. She swore she hadn’t told anyone.”

  He leaned in to kiss her again, an intoxicating kiss, heated but slow, lustful but tender. When Jack broke it, she drew reluctantly away. He shifted backward on the mattress and pulled her T-shirt over her head. He squeezed her waist gently and ran his fingers up her spine. Helplessly, she arched like a cat.

  “I found a bug in Violet’s office, and then Biff showed up. He’d gotten inside the club with the carpet cleaner and then knocked him out. If he was worried about what Constantine might do, why screw up even more by hurting an innocent bystander? Then he took a shot at Tony Karaplis—”

  “Oh, no! Is Tony okay?”

  “Tony’s fine, but Biff got away. I assume he planted the bug.” He unsnapped Rose’s bra, easing it slowly off her breasts. His eyes devoured her with slow, languorous heat. His fingers trailed to her waist and folded down the sweatpants to toy with her navel. “Was he spying on Violet—for whatever reason—and accidentally heard her talking to me?”

  Rose grabbed his hand before it went lower. She couldn’t think about Biff or Violet with Jack working her into a haze of lust. “I think he wants to sleep with Violet, but he sounded seriously frightened.”

  “You know what I think?” Jack leaned forward and dipped his tongue in Rose’s navel while his fingers slipped under her waistband.

  “It’s amazing you can think at all right now,” Rose said irritably.

  “I’m an amazing sort of guy,” Jack replied. “I think Biff’s afraid Constantine is angry enough to send him nightmares.”

  Rose shivered as he trailed his tongue along the path his fingers had taken. “You believe Constantine sends bad dreams? I thought that was just hype.”

  Jack frowned into the sunbeams. “What I believe is irrelevant. Constantine terrifies people with just a look. If they have nightmares after that, it’s as likely to be their own fear screwing with them as anything Constantine does.” He tipped her onto her back, lifted her hips, and pulled the sweatpants down. He crawled between her thighs and spread her nether lips with his thumbs. He took his time, getting an eyeful of her in the sunlight, a satisfied smile on his face. His thumb wandered over her clit.

  Oh.

  Rose got a grip on herself and squirmed away. “But you do believe it, don’t you?”

  Jack shrugged, and his fingers resumed their teasing exploration.

  “Stop that. Just till I finish talking.” She had to tell him what she knew. She couldn’t let him go to the lion’s den unprepared.

  Jack laughed and withdrew a tantalizing inch.

  Breathlessly, Rose said, “When I met him at a concert, Constantine offered to send a nightmare to my Neanderthal boyfriend because he was acting jealous. I figured he was joking, but maybe not. Maybe he can do…unusual things.”

  “Just don’t expect Constantine to help you get rid of me.” Jack’s fingers explored again as he crawled up to kiss her breasts. “It won’t work. I’m immune to Constantine’s nightmares.”

  Slow, raunchy jazz started up someplace nearby. Languid, sexy music, encouraging Rose to sink into the rhythms of pleasure. She watched Jack through half-closed eyes as he tongued and suckled, suckled and tongued, one aching, quivering breast and the other, back and forth, while her clit throbbed its delight at his touch. Why would I ever want to get rid of you? She ran a hand up his muscled back, wound it into his hair, and shut her eyes, bathing her senses in pheromones and sweat, sex and passion. Her fangs, quiescent until now, slotted down.

  She would tell him about Constantine as soon as they were done. “Kiss me.” Love me. “Fuck me.” Make love to me.

  “Anything you want,” Jack said huskily, and his mouth met hers.

  In the living room, Rose’s cell phone rang.

  Rose broke the kiss. “I have to answer that.”

  “If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.” Jack’s fingers feathered her now-tender nipples as he drew her back into the kiss.

  The phone rang again. “I won’t be able to relax if I don’t answer it.” She rolled away from him.

  “Don’t be a slave to the phone.” Jack shot out an arm to pull her back. He blew on her neck and she almost sank back into that delicious lust. “Be a slave to me.”

  The phone rang a third time. Rose yanked out of his arms and ran.

  “Or me to you. Either way,” Jack was saying, but Rose was already flipping open the phone.

  A whisper, so faint even her vamp hearing barely caught it. “Rose.”

  She plugged her other ear to shut out the funky jazz. “Miles? Thank God. Did you get my message? I got a check from my customer, so everything’s fine.”

  “Rose, help, but please…” His words were slurred, the last one a croak. “Only if…”

  “Miles, what’s wrong? What do you need me to do?”

  “Dress.” Then a squeak: “Don’t—” The line went dead.

  Rose punched the call-return button as Jack came up beside her. “What’s going on?”

  “It was Miles. Something’s wrong.”

  Jack’s face fell and his erection followed suit. He got that harsh look she recognized from before. “Rose, I don’t think—”

  The call was picked up midring. “Rose, how lovely of you to call.”

  Titania? Dizzily, Rose sucked in a breath. Was Titania still in Chicago? Or was Miles…

  Oh, my God. Her heartbeat sped up and her knees wobbled. Jack put an arm around her and leaned close to listen.

  “Miles is dying to see you again.” Titania tittered. “Literally! Didn’t I warn you about creative punishment?”

  “That was supposed to be me, you slut, not Miles!”

  Titania’s laughter echoed across the airwaves, and a volcano of rage surged inside Rose. Jack squeezed her shoulder. Don’t, he mouthed, shaking his head.

  Rose’s heart twisted, contorted, tore. Her fangs burned. Saliva gathered. I really am an animal. A slavering bitch. I’ll kill her.

  Jack put a finger to her lips, pressed it against a wet fang. Mouthed, Don’t say anything.

  “I’ll get to your punishment later.” Titania paused evilly and assumed that syrupy tone. “Or if you grovel enough, I might consider being merciful.” Another calculated pause. “Sure, why not? I’m in a good mood. I won’t bite Milesy-poo anymore. I’ll tickle him instead!”

  Miles’s high-pitched laughter split the air. “Don’t do it!” He erupted
into horrific giggles and shrieks.

  A car door slammed. “Gun it, Gino. I’m in a hurry. You know what I want, Rose. I’ll be in Bayou Gavotte soon. I’ll give you Miles when you give me the gown.”

  Rose opened her mouth, but not a word came out. She dug her fingers into Jack’s arm. I’ll kill her. I’ll rip her to bits.

  “The longer you take, the deader Miles will be.”

  Rose had to go save Miles. She had to go now. “All right, I’ll—”

  Jack snapped the phone shut. “No.”

  “Give me the phone. I have to call her back. I can’t let Miles die!”

  Jack tossed the phone onto the futon. “Bargaining with Titania will not work.” He took a deep breath, and when he spoke his voice was rough. “I assume Violet told you I was involved with Titania for a short time.” He paused again, and Rose nodded impatiently. He wanted to talk about this now? What about Miles?

  He blew out a long breath. “I was an idiot not to see through her sweeter-than-sweet act right from the start, but it’s been almost a year since then, and although she was bad before, she’s become considerably worse. You thwarted and insulted her, and she’ll never forgive you. Whatever threats she has made, she will carry out.”

  Rose dove for the phone. Jack landed on top of her and knocked it away from her scrabbling fingers. It skidded across the floor. She dug an elbow in his ribs, panting.

  “She doesn’t know I’m a vampire. I’m a match for her any day.” She grunted and heaved him off.

  He shoved her down again, wrapped both arms around her, and held tight. “Damn it, Rose, listen to me before you screw up instead of afterward, when it’s too late.”

  She cringed. She’d already screwed up, right from the start. It was all her fault. Again. Outside, the jazz crumpled into discord and raucous oaths.

  Jack eased his hold slightly. “Sorry, but you’re better off hearing the truth. Physically, yes, you’re a match for Titania, but she’s cruel and will stop at nothing, and she has a bunch of goons at her beck and call.”

  “I’ll seduce her goons away from her.” Rose twisted in his grip, remembering but setting aside her failure with Biff. So what? She had to at least try.

  “Rose.” Jack growled low and soft. “This is getting old. I don’t get off on restraint and bondage when they lead nowhere.”

  He wanted her to lighten up, but she couldn’t. “He’s going to die, and it’s all my fault.”

  “Enough! You have one more chance to calm down, or—”

  “I don’t deserve any chances,” Rose said. “Give up on me, please, and let me go!”

  “Never.”

  Rose stilled.

  “When you care about someone, you don’t give up. My mother never gave up on my dad, and I’ll never give up on you.”

  He loved her? No, he hadn’t said that. He’d said he cared. Even if he did think he was in love—and that was a big if—it was only lust. He was besotted, bewitched, crazed.

  “I’m not a good person to care about.” She kicked and fought, to no avail. “It’s all my fault again. It’s always my fault. If I hadn’t taken the gown, she wouldn’t be torturing Miles, and Biff wouldn’t have overheard you and tried to shoot you, and I wouldn’t have screwed up Linda Dell’s rescue, and now Constantine will kill Biff.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “There’s probably more. There’s always more.”

  “Be reasonable, Rose. You’re only responsible for your own actions, not theirs.”

  She wasn’t listening. She couldn’t. “There is more! If I hadn’t mentioned the problems with dancing in bum rolls and French farthingales, she wouldn’t have known the gown was for the parade, not the ball, and she wouldn’t have wanted to steal it in the first place. Start to finish, it’s all my fault.” She twisted and heaved, but Jack wouldn’t let go. “I am such a fuckup!”

  “No,” Jack said, “you’re adorable.” He held her against him, rocking her. “That’s what I was going to say this morning, but I chickened out.”

  She stopped struggling. Nobody had ever rocked her before. Not even her mom, she was willing to bet.

  He kissed her hair. “Forget the guilt crap and think. Did you try to warn Miles?”

  She sniffled. “I told him right from the start that she wasn’t a nice person, but that only made him mad. I didn’t blame him.”

  “Of course not,” Jack said dryly. He stood and helped her up.

  She quivered, indignant now. “Because he’d pestered me for years about the thugs I went out with, and I never paid any attention. After I overheard her talking about stealing the gown, it was too late. He would never have believed me.”

  “So you did what you had to. You couldn’t have known what Titania would do next.”

  “No, but…”

  He shut them inside the secret room again. “Think about it this way. If you hadn’t stolen the gown, we might never have met.”

  Oh.

  “Not only that, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to rescue Juma.”

  True.

  “Or to find out how well we work together.” He nudged her onto the mattress. “Do you know how much I wished you were there in the club last night?”

  The tiniest smile struggled to surface.

  “At the best of times, it’s not easy rescuing two people at once. I kept thinking, ‘If only Rose were here to help.’ We do make a good team. It just took me a few hours to realize I was being an ass.”

  Rose sighed and nestled against him, then surged up. “What about Miles? We have to help him!”

  This time, he didn’t pull her back down. “We can’t do anything for him until they arrive in Bayou Gavotte.”

  “If I call her and tell her I’ll get the gown, she’ll stop tormenting him.”

  Jack’s harsh eyes filled with something composed of misery, disgust, and despair. “Don’t be naive. She’s more likely to delight in breaking her word.”

  Rose lowered herself beside him again, propping herself on one hand, brushing his hair off his forehead with the other. What had that evil woman done to make Jack look like this?

  “Maybe he called to warn you not to do what Titania says.”

  “But…” She took a deep breath. “It’s possible, but I can’t desert him.”

  His voice was ice and ashes. “No, but accept it, Rose: for the moment, we can do nothing for Miles. Don’t look so stricken. He’s an adult, responsible for his actions. He didn’t have to let Titania seduce him.”

  “He couldn’t help it. She’s a vamp.” He thought she seemed stricken? He looked as if he would gladly lie down and die.

  “So why didn’t he fall for you?”

  “He did! Not at first, because his wife was alive, and he loved her. Then she died, and he was lonely. He started coming on to me, but I discouraged him big-time, which probably made him even more vulnerable to Titania.” Her lip wobbled.

  “For fuck’s sake, Rose.”

  She forced her mouth to mimic a smile. “No, I don’t think that’s my fault. I can’t screw the entire male population to protect them from evil vamps.” But do I need to protect you?

  He didn’t smile back. “If Miles makes it here alive, we’ll do our best to save him.”

  “You don’t sound confident. Should we involve the cops?”

  “Titania’s gotten away with a lot of shit.” He rolled onto his side, facing away from Rose. “Kidnapping is a crime, but he’s a grown man, not a helpless kid. It would be her word against his, and if he’s lost too much blood, there won’t be any wounds to show what happened.”

  Was Jack cold? The apartment was warm; his skin was warm, too. He lay very still. Pale, silent…

  “Not only that, she’d wangle her way out of jail in no time.” He was going into camouflage. Before her very eyes, he faded against the geometric pattern on the sheets.

  She knelt beside him. “Should we ask the underworld for help?”

  “We have to.” Jack shimmered faintly into view. “Historically,
vamps are protected by the underworld, both here and in other countries. If vamps go bad, the underworld has to deal with it, because there’s no one else.” He faded again. “With their help, we’ll do fine.”

  “Something’s bothering you, isn’t it? That’s why you’re going into—no, retreating into—camouflage. Like last night.”

  “Sorry,” he said, visible, invisible, there, and then not. “Imagine how my poor mother felt when I kept disappearing on her as a small child. Fortunately, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. My father can camo, although nowhere near as well as I can.”

  “You’re changing the subject,” Rose said. “You don’t want to talk about it, do you?”

  A wavering in the air told her he was shaking his head. Tatters of camouflage shivered in and out of view.

  “Fine. We won’t.” Maybe nonverbal communication would work better. Cuddling, caresses, silent companionship…solitude? “Do you want privacy? Should I leave?”

  His whole being surged into sight. “No! God, no!” He flipped her onto her back, covering her, his lips swift and hard on hers. “I need you here, and not just for your safety.” He rested his forehead on hers.

  She shifted, accommodating his lean hips, his hard torso, his exceptionally hard erection. Huh. Well, okay. Guys usually found sex comforting. She took hold of his buttocks and squirmed languidly under him.

  He didn’t respond. Didn’t move. Started to fade again.

  “I’m in lousy shape, Rose. I need…I need…” Ah, he was layered in camouflage, so torn and unhappy.

  She kissed him hard on the lips. “Take whatever you need. I am here for you.” She knew how to be there for a guy. She’d done whatever Lou wanted and needed, always putting his desires before her own. She’d even given her best to the succession of mobsters who followed him, although she’d been getting damn sick of it. For Jack, though, she would do whatever it took. She nipped at his lip with her fangs, encircled him with allure to bond them, bind them tight. He shuddered. His erection throbbed against her, but still he didn’t move.

  She grasped his shoulders and nuzzled her way along his neck to his throat. “Any way you want me, I’m yours. Standing, sitting, lying down, on the bed, on the table, on the floor.” She pierced his skin with the tip of one fang, and he let out a broken thread of a moan. “You on top, me on top, in front, behind, anywhere in between. Shouting obscenities or complete and total silence. Mirrors and toys and whipped cream if it turns you on, but I don’t need any of that. I don’t even have to bite you every time. Regular sex, a taste of blood now and then, and I’m fine.”