“No, not dressed like this. I had jeans on.” She frowned. “You know I got into bed with you, huh?”
“Do you honestly think you can put your naked body next to mine and not have me know about it?” He clutched at his heart. “I’m wounded.”
She huffed out a breath. “I knew it was a dumb move.”
“It wasn’t dumb. But it was telling.” He reached out and tugged at a loose strand of blond that had escaped her knot. “It doesn’t feel like we’re done, Minka. There’s too much chemistry left between us.”
She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know, Gage. I don’t know if I can trust you again.”
He’d planned on having this conversation at their impending dinner, but now was as good a time as any. “At least give me a second chance. Let me earn back your trust.”
She put her coffee down. “I don’t do second chances.”
“I know.” That didn’t feel like the end of her answer, though. “But?”
She took a deep breath and let it out before she answered him. “But I guess there’s a first time for everything.” She held a hand up. “I just need a little more time to think about it.”
That was good enough for him. He wanted to whoop. Instead, he sat there stoically and nodded. “That’s all I’m asking for.” Hot damn. “What are you working on there?”
“Snooping on you.”
Had to love a pixie’s blatant honesty. “Really. Find anything interesting?”
“Yes. I looked up a few donor sites. You know the kind where they send a live donor to your house?”
“I’m familiar, yes.”
She sat back in the chair and clasped her hands in her lap. “You know what’s interesting?”
Besides the fact that they were getting back together? What else mattered? “Why don’t you tell me?”
“I’m on your computer, but not a single site I went to recognized me. I mean you. Not a single log-in.” She stretched her legs out on the desk, distracting him for a moment with the tease of skin. “And this house. There’s not a trace of a woman being here. What’s up?”
“I don’t use the donor sites. I have a subscription service that delivers what I need right to the house once a week.”
Her brows furrowed. “You’re on bagged stuff? But live donors are better.”
He nodded. “They are, but sometimes they get attached. Especially if you use the same one more than once. It’s not worth the risk.” He put his hand on her ankle, enjoying the delicious warmth of her skin. “As for the house, it looks like there hasn’t been a woman here, other than you, because there hasn’t been.”
“Dry spell, huh?”
It tickled him that she was so interested in his romantic life. “As the Sahara. By choice.”
“Why’s that?”
“You know why, Minka.”
She held his eye contact, narrowing her gaze slightly. “Tell me.”
“Because you’re the only woman I want in this house and in my life.”
She stood up and faced him, fitting perfectly between his knees. The light in her eyes flickered between hope and pain. “You listen to me, Gage Hudson. If we do this—and it’s still an if—and you break my heart again, I will kill you.”
He settled his hands on her hips. “I know.” He pulled her closer and kissed her the way he’d been craving for the last two years. Slow and easy, tasting her mouth, teasing his tongue against hers. Savoring every detail of her.
She resisted for a second, then relaxed and started kissing him back. Her heartbeat quickened, and her hands alighted on his chest. They traced upward until her fingers wove into his hair.
Her touch sent a tingle down his spine and into his belly.
She was more delectable than he remembered, softer and sweeter, and the fire she ignited in him burned brighter than it ever had. His hands skimmed down her body to cup her firm backside, but he didn’t dare go further. He had a team of Collectors coming over, and there was too much work ahead of them to contemplate taking her to bed now. And when that did happen, it wasn’t going to be a quickie. Hell no.
He eased out of the kiss and grinned. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” Her smile was wary, but he’d take it.
He tipped his forehead against hers. “I know you have your reservations. I’m okay with that. We’ll take it slow. Get to know each other again. I want you to trust me.”
She nodded. “I want that, too.” She kissed him once more, a short press of her lips to his, like she was sealing the deal. “You need to feed. Then we need to find your brother.” She stepped back. “This is your mission. Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
He slid off the desk. “I appreciate that. As I mentioned, I’ve called in some help. Collectors I trust implicitly. They’ll be here soon, but yes, I do need to feed. I’ll go do that now and then we can—”
She frowned. “What do you mean you’ll go do that now? How are you going to feed without me?”
“I have bagged supplies in cold storage. You’ve been through enough.”
Her hands went to her hips. “Um, I’ll be the one to decide when I’ve had enough of you biting me. And you’re not about to go the bagged route when I’m here and willing.”
He hesitated. “You’re sure?” Obviously, she was his preference, but he had no desire to tax her system.
Her brows quirked up as she gave him a very come-hither look. “Don’t I look sure?”
It wasn’t an invitation he was willing to ignore. “I’d say you look pretty damn sure to me.” He lifted her into his arms without warning, eliciting a little shriek of surprise from her as he carried her into the living room and sat down on the couch with her.
Minka wrapped her arms around Gage’s neck as she settled into his lap. She still had doubts about him, but he was already eroding them. “You really haven’t changed.”
“I’m a vampire. We get into a rut every hundred years or so.”
To think he hadn’t been with a single woman since they’d broken up. It was flattering. And sweet. And so unexpected for a guy with Gage’s…appetites. “So I’m a rut, am I?” she teased.
His eyes rounded. “No. That’s not what I meant.”
She laughed. “I know what you meant.” She held up her arm. “Wrist or neck?”
“You have a preference?”
Inner thigh, but this was neither the time nor the place. “Neck is fine. So long as you’re gentle.”
He frowned. “You know the last time was a special case. I would never hurt you on purpose.”
“I know.” She scraped her fingertips over the stubble on his cheek. “But I also love giving you a hard time.”
His eyes took on a wicked gleam. “Speaking of hard times, maybe when we get back—”
She put a finger on his lips. “There’s the Gage I remember.” She laughed. “You said we were going to take things slow.”
“Slow is a relative term.” He smiled, showing off his fangs. “Ready?”
She nodded.
He picked her up just enough to slide her down the couch so that she could rest her head on the upholstered arm, then he kissed the hollow of her throat. He worked up from there, trailing tiny kisses along her neck until he reached her ear. His breath raised goose bumps on her flesh.
She purred with pleasure and arched up to meet him. No need to pretend she wasn’t affected by him anymore.
“I adore you,” he whispered against her skin. He nipped at her earlobe, causing her to shiver a second time.
His fangs scraped her neck, then sank into her. There was no pain, only the rush of lightheaded euphoria that lifted her into a rare space. He made a sound deep in his throat that was a mix of hunger, pleasure and barely controlled desire.
The tug of his mouth on her skin shot jolts of need through her, into her bones, into her core. She dug her fingers into his hair, wanting more of him but knowing her desire for him was, in part, being fueled by the aphrodisiac of his poin
ted kiss.
Waves of pleasure rippled through her as he continued. She bit her lip, on the verge of crying out, when his mouth left her skin. One last tease of his tongue, and he broke contact.
He kept his head bent against her neck for a moment. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She exhaled as the pleasure ebbed and stretched her arms over her head, languishing in the afterglow. “You didn’t take much.”
“I took enough.” He sat back. His lids were heavy with bliss. “That’s the third time in as many days that I’ve fed. I could go a week now.” He tipped his head to look at her, a little sadness in his eyes. “I hate to ruin the moment, but the sun’s down. That means we’ve only got a few more minutes until my friends get here.”
She scooted to a sitting position. “No problem. I’ll run upstairs and get dressed. Nothing matters now but getting Caleb back.”
“I’ll go with you. I need to get dressed for the task ahead, too.”
She hopped up and took off running. “Race you!”
“Hey!” He caught up to her then passed her, but stood waiting by the bedroom door when she arrived a few seconds after him. “What did I win?”
“The chance to take me out to dinner.” Laughing, she sailed into the spare room and shut the door.
Gage was headed into his office when the door chime sounded. He changed direction and went into the foyer instead. He opened the door and greeted the three other Collectors he’d called upon. Sergei Petrov, Adrian Dunn and Kord Wolfram. “Gentlemen.”
“Hudson.” Sergei embraced Gage, kissing him on both cheeks. “You are well, da?”
“Well enough,” Gage answered.
“Is good.” With a nod, Sergei headed into the house.
Adrian and Kord greeted Gage with a tip of their heads as they followed Sergei in. The three of them were the most dangerous Collectors he knew. They were also the good guys and more trustworthy than anyone else he knew outside of Minka.
He joined them in the living room. They all took seats, then he began. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. As I said in my text, I’ve found my brother.”
Kord frowned. “I thought he was dead.”
“So did I,” Gage answered.
Sergei nodded. Light gleamed off the man’s shaved head. “You will tell them what you have told me.”
It wasn’t a question. Gage gave them the CliffsNotes, filling them in on Blackwell, the bad blood between them, how he’d kidnapped Caleb and let Gage think his brother was dead. Then he explained how all that changed in Vegas and what he now knew to be true about his brother, including Blackwell’s confession about Caleb’s location.
Sergei grunted in disgust. “I should not have turned Blackwell. He is my one regret. If I find him…” Sergei slit his finger across his throat.
“He’s already been dealt with. I turned him over to the Vegas branch. Or I would have killed him myself.” That seemed to satisfy Sergei. Gage continued, “As you can imagine, I’ve never unearthed a vampire who’s been starved as long as Caleb has been.” He looked at Sergei. “I’m hoping you have some insight on that.”
Sergei thought for a moment. “Is not an easy task. He will be wild. Desperate for blood. You understand this?”
“I do. That’s why I called you three in. I doubt I’d be able to handle him myself.” Not and protect Minka at the same time. He’d thought about asking her to stay behind, but knew she’d want to come. She deserved to be there if she wanted to be. She was the whole reason Caleb was getting rescued.
Sergei nodded. “You will need much blood from a strong source—ah, I see you have already thought of this.” His gaze shifted to a point over Gage’s shoulder.
“What?” Gage turned to see Minka walk in. He whipped back around. “Oh, hell no.”
“Hell no what?” Minka stopped at his side.
“We need live blood donor for Gage’s brother,” Sergei answered. “I assume this is why you are here. No?”
“No, that’s not why she’s here,” Gage said. The idea that he’d subject Minka to such a thing was ludicrous. He stared at Sergei. “Are you saying that blood from a live donor is the only way to bring Caleb back?”
Sergei made an unhappy face. “Nyet. But is only way to restore him without him becoming permanent monster.”
Gage cursed.
Kord shrugged. “Why can’t we do it?”
Sergei’s brows lifted in disbelief. “Shifter blood? Nyet.” He pointed at Adrian. “Not your mixed blood either.”
Adrian held his hands up. “Good, because I’d rather not get bitten today, thanks.”
Sergei looked back at Gage. “Donor must be full-blooded. After that, bag blood okay. Not favorite, but okay.”
“I’m full-blooded,” Minka offered. She took Gage’s hand. “I can do this.”
“You just gave me blood.”
She shrugged. “So? I’ll give some more. And you’re going to be there to protect me, so you won’t let him take too much, right?”
“That’s not the point—”
She crossed her arms. “Are you going to introduce me or what?”
“Yes, sorry. These are the Gotham City Collectors I called in.” He pointed to them. “Sergei, Adrian and Kord. This is Minka Winslow. She’s a Sin City Collector.”
“And a full-blooded pixie,” she added.
“Who will not be the donor.” Gage glared at her.
Kord spoke up. “You have another possibility on speed dial?”
Minka cut her eyes at Gage. “He has a point.” She took his hand again. “This is your brother we’re talking about. The longer we sit here debating this, the longer he stays trapped in that coffin.”
She was right. He knew that. Didn’t change his mind. “No.”
“Yes.” She wore her stubbornness like it was impenetrable armor.
“You have no idea what you’re volunteering for.” He stood over her, anger and love battling it out in his gut. Anger at Blackwell, anger at her for being so obstinate, love for her for insisting on helping, love for his brother. There was no right answer here.
“I have some idea. I know it’s not going to be…pleasant.”
“Pleasant? It’s going to be one of the worst things you’ve ever been a part of.” He glanced at Sergei. “Am I right?”
“Da.” Sergei nodded his head thoughtfully. “He is starved. A monster. It will be painful. Frightening. But the pixie looks like brave woman to me.”
“You have no idea.” She hooked her thumb toward Gage. “I just agreed to date this guy again, so brave and probably crazy.”
Sergei smiled. “Very good.” He looked at Gage. “Good?”
Gage muttered a curse at the ceiling, knowing he was beaten. That didn’t stop him from hating that she was going to be in danger again because of him. “Fine.” He pushed to his feet. “Let’s do this before I change my mind.” He grabbed Minka’s hand as the other men headed to the door. “I appreciate you being so willing, but I don’t like it.”
“I picked up on that.” She squeezed his hand. “But this is your brother we’re talking about.”
“I understand, but brother or not, he’s been deprived of blood so long that he will be…” The idea of what Caleb had become was too much for him to put into words.
“I know, Gage.” Her voice was soft and comforting. “I expect it to be hard and scary and awful, but I’m not a delicate flower. And you have no other choice if you want to save him. Just protect me. That’s all I ask.”
“You know I will.” If he had to make a choice between Caleb and Minka again, he knew exactly how he would decide. She would not suffer at his hands again.
She linked her arm through his, her expression determined if not a little fearful. “Let’s go bring your brother home.”
Traveling to Blackwell’s brownstone was a simple jaunt on the regular subway, but Gage reassured her they’d be returning home via the Dark Line. At that point in the evening, she wasn’t sure if she’d
be capable of enjoying it.
She’d made the decision to be Caleb’s donor rashly, but with good reason. It was important to Gage. She understood the danger—this wasn’t her first time around a vampire. Granted, not one who’d been starved this long, but Gage would protect her. She had faith in him. There was no other option if they were going to be together.
She had to be able to trust him again. Had to know he wouldn’t leave her again. Her heart couldn’t take that kind of pain twice in her life. Being Caleb’s donor was taking a step toward all that. A way of proving to herself that she and Gage were solid again. That her worries were unfounded.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and keep her heart from racing out of her chest. Truth was, she was scared to death of being Caleb’s donor, but she wasn’t going to let Gage know that. He had enough to worry about right now.
Gage squeezed her hand and smiled down at her. She smiled back, then leaned against him to hide her face. Faking anything was difficult for her.
The conductor announced the next stop.
“That’s us,” Gage said.
She nodded. The passengers around them were giving Gage and his crew a wide berth, and for a moment, she saw the group with fresh eyes. Each one of them, herself included, wore a leather jacket, some with studs, some with chains. The men all wore tactical pants and boots, making them look like some kind of ex-military operation.
Sergei’s left boot had a knife handle sticking out of it, which probably wasn’t legal, but who was going to argue that with a six-foot tall, 220-pound, tattooed Russian with a shaved head?
Kord’s leather jacket was covered in military and biker patches. Adrian’s jacket was plain, but scarred with the evidence of a few fights. Both of them carried black duffels that held fold-up shovels and other tools, plus clothes for Caleb should everything go as planned.
And then there was Gage, whose height and build were enough to make him intimidating, but his ice-blue eyes contrasted with his jet hair to give him a piercing stare. The backpack slung over one shoulder held all the blood Gage had had in his cold storage. She knew once her blood brought Caleb out of hibernation and restored him to a functioning level, Gage planned on pulling her away and feeding Caleb the bagged stuff since Sergei had okayed it.
Sin City Collectors Boxed Set: Queen of Hearts, Dead Man's Hand, Double or Nothing Page 31