“Thank you, Marina,” he says, sounding relieved. “I brought you something,” he smiles. “May I?” he says, gesturing to my hand.
I nod.
From his pocket he pulls a diamond tennis bracelet.
“It’s beautiful,” I muse. He clasps it around my wrist and I can’t help but stare. It’s vintage, with diamonds all the way around. I wonder whose bracelet this was, as it is definitely old. Beautiful, timeless, but ancient. I don’t ask, for fear I won’t like the answer. I’m determined to turn this night around and enjoy myself. It’s not every day I get to break loose.
I stand from the bed, pulling Julian with me. “Let’s go on our date.”
He smiles boyishly. “Date,” he grins. “I like that.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Julian
We’re driving through the countryside and it takes everything in me to keep my eyes on the road and off her. There’s something different about her. She looks younger. Alive.
There’s been something brewing between us since the auction, but it’s not simple attraction. She holds some power over me, and I’ve been trying to uncover its source ever since. I want to tell her all that I’ve learned about vampire lore and my suspicions concerning her, but I can’t. Not yet.
Even I don’t fully understand it.
Her head is resting back on the seat, eyes closed and carefree. I love seeing her like this. I wish I could always make her this happy. Tough times lie ahead for us. When Stacey leaves, it’ll break Marina. They’ve formed a bond through their experience that is unlike any friendship she’s ever had. If I could keep Stacey safe without bringing the Council down on us, I would.
Marc won’t budge. I never thought he would. He only agreed to a month because I agreed to hold two auctions next month. I only agreed because I’ve heard murmurings that they’ve abducted twice as many girls. They’re sitting in cells, God knows where. If there is a second auction, the Council will be too preoccupied with the planning to keep tabs on me. Money is more important than anything—with the exception of blood.
With them off my back, I can recruit twice as many new bites for my own army. Now that I know how to reach the small human part of them that remains, it’s taking half the time to train them. The more I train and the more who swear their allegiance to me, the better. I have to act fast, because I know it’s only a matter of time before Marc makes a move. He’s becoming desperate.
I have to keep humans safe. I have to keep Marina safe.
Chapter Twenty-Four
We’re in the heart of New Orleans in a restaurant that has an old-world charm. White linen tablecloths adorn the tables. Beautiful chandeliers hang overhead in various locations. Waiters scurry about the room wearing head-to-toe black. The room is dim, lit by the glow of candles. It’s romantic.
Julian has ordered a bottle of the best merlot they stock, and we’re sharing a side of gnocchi, waiting for our dinner plates to be served. I look up at Julian from under my lashes, and my breath catches. Every time I see him, he’s more impressive. Strong jaw, steely eyes, and that smile. God, that smile does things to my stomach. Nobody before him has ever come close to giving me butterflies, let alone whatever this is. For the first time in my life, I feel like a woman. A woman who is struggling to deny the feelings taking root for the man across from her.
It’s foolish. A childish dream. We live different lives and we come from different worlds, but I can’t help but yearn for a connection with him. I’m pulled from my reverie by Julian’s smooth, masculine voice.
“Tell me more about your life, Marina.”
And just like that, the spell is broken. Nothing is less sexy than my life pre-abduction.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to,” Julian amends, sounding unsure and concerned. He’s taken me into his home and kept me safe, so I feel it’s only fair I share a bit more of myself with him.
“I told you about one of us triplets dying at birth.” Julian nods, not saying anything, allowing me to continue. “After that, my mother became paranoid and delusional. She claimed our sister was taken from her.”
“Grief is different for every person. I’m sure your sister dying was traumatic for your mother. Especially with all the hormones coursing through her at the time,” Julian offers.
“It was more than that. She believed the hospital had faked Molly’s death and her baby was stolen from her. My entire life, my mother wavered between helicopter parenting and months of isolation and neglect.”
“Why did she think Molly was taken?” Julian’s brows are furrowed.
“No clue. Nothing she ever said made sense.”
“There are a lot of things in this world that do not make sense, Marina. You of all people should know that now.”
The words sting, but only because I have never considered that my mother might have actually had good reasons to believe what she believed. There was a body—I know that much. My father said many times through the years that they buried Molly. He held her dead body in his hands. But what if something did happen that led my mother to think otherwise?
“The truth?” I wince, because it isn’t favorable for me. “I never listened. Nor did I ask.” For so many years, I tried to make people trust that I was seeing monsters. Every one of them did exactly as I did to my mother. They pushed my words off as delusions. I’m here today knowing they were wrong. Could I be wrong about my mother and Molly?
“I need to speak to her, Julian. What if I can help my mom?”
He bites on the inside of his cheek, eyes hard and mouth in a straight line.
“It’s dangerous. You’d be putting her in danger too, Marina. For right now, I don’t think it’s a good idea. She safe and getting the help she needs in Arizona.”
“She probably thinks I’m dead, Julian. After everything she’s been through, I’m not sure she will survive another loss.”
“What if you could call her? Tell her you’re all right, but you had to get away. Then she’d know you were safe. Could that be enough . . . for now?”
I consider his offer. If I called her and told her I was all right, I think she’d be okay—since she’s now sober. Could it be the thing that sets them back in their recovery? Could it really put them in danger? I can’t do that. “I think you’re right. I need to keep them out of this.”
He nods.
Done talking about me, I turn the tables on Julian.
“The other night, what happened that you had to run off?”
Julian looks puzzled before recognition forms on his face.
“A new bite got loose. It was the first time that’s happened.”
A cool wisp of dread fills me at the thought of a bloodthirsty vampire being loose in the very place I was.
“He never made it out of the basement. Bash stopped his attempt and Charlie, another guard, held him down until I was there to sedate him.”
“How did you do that?” I question, not understanding what he could’ve done that Bash or this Charlie guy couldn’t have done themselves.
“I gave him some of my blood. It has a calming effect, almost like a sedative, for other vampires. Only Borns possess those blood properties.”
“He drank from you?” I ask, trying hard to keep all signs of repulsion from my features.
“From my wrist. You can’t even tell if you look today,” he says, lifting the sleeve of his shirt to show a perfectly unblemished wrist. “Borns have healing properties that are superhuman.”
“The other vampires don’t have those things?”
He shakes his head. “Not exactly. They have swift healing, strength, and speed, but nothing compared to what I possess.”
His chest is puffed out in pride, and I have to smother the smirk on my face. I don’t want him to think I’m poking fun. I’m not. It’s just that seeing him this youthful and carefree is liberating. I don’t feel like I’m with my captor, but a guy that I like. One that I want to know more about.
O
ur dinner comes, and we eat while discussing mundane topics. The weather in Louisiana versus Ohio, his lack of interest in politics and religion, and more importantly, the fact that he doesn’t seem to have any hobbies outside of table tennis and billiards.
“No Netflix?” I cringe, not knowing how I’ll survive another few weeks, let alone months, without it. It was my source of comfort when my parents had shut me out. While they spent days locked in their own prisons, high and drunk, I binged on Netflix.
“I’m afraid not.” His head pops up, as if he has a brilliant idea. “I’ll purchase it tomorrow. Would you like that?”
My head bobs in excitement.
“I can go shopping tomorrow and buy a larger television. You can introduce me to your favorite shows?”
“Could Stacey and I join you?” I say, lowering my head, not wanting to see the answer before hearing it. “I feel bad that Stacey missed out on tonight, and she loves to shop. It would really brighten her mood.”
“It’s done. Tomorrow we’ll drive into town and buy a new television and take Stacey shopping.”
I squeal, before looking around in embarrassment at the eyes watching me. “Sorry,” I mouth to the nearest table occupants. I receive some raised brows and a few smiles in return.
We finish up eating, Julian pays, and we’re walking out the door into the cool night air of New Orleans. Swarms of people line the streets. Laughter and raised voices bring a smile to my lips. This feels normal. Without thinking twice, I grab Julian’s hand in mine. He looks to me, smiling. Giving my hand a gentle squeeze, he moves us through the crowd. We walk aimlessly, Julian pointing out famous landmarks and restaurants. We stop and grab beignets for Stacey at Café du Monde and continue around the square.
Everything about tonight is wonderful, until a voice has Julian going stiff.
“Julian, wait up,” a man’s voice calls from behind us.
“Remain quiet. Look forward at all times unless I speak to you,” Julian commands, sounding worried about whoever is approaching.
“Vzar,” Julian says coldly.
“It’s been some time since we’ve seen you around these parts. What brings you into town?”
I do as Julian said and remain still with my eyes locked forward. I’m unable to see the man that Julian converses with, but something tells me I wouldn’t want to anyway.
“Dinner,” he says, nodding his head in my direction. I see this action out of the corner of my eye and have to try very hard not to react to his suggestion.
“Good catch. It’s a rare occasion when a human that delectable crosses our paths,” he says covetously. “Rafael will be disappointed if you don’t come by the club. He was just saying the other day how different things are, now that you’re in power.”
His words cut through the air like a shotgun, challenging.
“Please give Rafael my apologies for missing the club this visit. I’m sure you can imagine how eager I am to . . . snack.”
My stomach drops. I know he’s doing this for show, but I can’t help but be disturbed by it.
“If I might say, Julian, it would be very advantageous for you to show your face at Levine, especially with this human on your arm, submissive. It would show any naysayers that Julian Bellamy is the right heir.”
“You speak very loosely to your king, Vzar.”
“My apologies,” he says, not sounding apologetic at all. “I thought we were friends. We have been for so long. I didn’t think that a throne would change that.”
“If only friends shared the same values they always had.” Julian’s voice is harsh. His words are a riddle to me.
The man’s voice drops to a whisper. “Not all of us have the luxury of disappearing for years, Julian. I had my own legacy to step into. It doesn’t mean my stance on things has changed, but I can’t make changes from the outside.”
Julian’s shoulders relax, hand shooting out toward Vzar.
The man bypasses Julian’s hand, pulling him into a tight man hug. I relax, hoping this means we’ve run into an ally.
“What’s going on here? You’ve started bidding and taking donors?” The man sounds slightly disgusted, which bodes even better for me.
“Vzar, this is Marina. Marina, my friend, Vzar.”
I look at him out the side of my eye, silently questioning whether I can break the act.
“Marina. It’s fine.”
I turn my head toward the other man, realizing instantly that he too is a vampire, as I suspected. I nod my head in his direction.
“The collar?” Vzar says with a laugh.
“For safety.”
The guy chuckles, “Nothing ever changes with you.”
“She wanted dinner and I wanted to keep her safe.”
Vzar narrows his eyes, smiling at Julian, but he doesn’t say anything.
“What’s the word on the streets tonight?”
“I’m serious when I say you need to make an appearance, Julian. The Council is all over you, and if word gets out that you were here and didn’t make an appearance, it will be another strike on a long list of strikes. They’re determined to find a reason to start the proceedings to try to extract you from the title. And it doesn’t help that your brother is at the forefront.”
“How do I do this and keep her safe?” Julian says, looking toward me.
“You’re still king. For propriety’s sake, they’ll all obey. The Council isn’t in town, only Rafael. Say she’s off limits, and she’ll be off limits. If anyone steps out of place, I’ll be there to help intervene. Besides, on a Friday night, the place will be teeming with humans. Her blood won’t be any more potent.”
Julian nods, turning to me. “I’m sorry you’re in the crossfire, Marina. I shouldn’t have ever brought you here.”
“What’s going on?”
“We have to make a pit stop at a club. It’s not your normal club, Marina. It’s—”
“Crazy,” Vzar cuts in. “There will be vampires everywhere drinking from humans.”
My eyes go wide and my face pales. “I-I can’t do it. I can’t watch that.”
“It’s not what you think. The humans that are there want to be. New Orleans is a very different town, Marina. Will you trust me?”
I nod, because nothing I can say would sound like I truly trust him. My knees are wobbly and my hands are shaking. Being in a room surrounded by vampires sounds anything but safe. In the end, it doesn’t sound like we have a choice, and in truth, I do trust Julian. He’ll keep me safe. I hope.
Vzar leads us down a sidewalk, the crowd on the street thinning with every step we take. Eyes dart in our direction, but Julian and Vzar remain facing forward. Neither of them speaks, which doesn’t help my nerves. After a while, the streetlights begin to fade, and the night swallows us whole. In alleyways, there are people making out or doing other unsavory things, but they don’t pay us any mind, and we continue on.
Eventually, a large warehouse appears to our right. Julian ushers me toward it, and a feeling of dread fills me. When we get to the massive doors, Vzar bangs his fist twice. A slot opens and a pair of eyes surveys us from behind the door.
“Magnus, you ass, let us in.” The man on the other side chuckles a deep, rumbling laugh and the door bangs open. Red lights and music filter out.
“Welcome to La Luxure Levine.” Vzar motions with his hands for us to go first.
The moment we’re through the door and it’s closed on us, my senses are on overload. The room is dark. The only light comes from a few sparse candles and the red strobe lights that work around the room. A sensual bass thrums beneath my feet, snaking its way up my body. The smell of sex is heavy in the air. When my eyes adjust, the reason is evident. Bodies are everywhere, gyrating together. This is a sex club?
My eyes narrow in on one couple and a gasp gets caught in my throat. The man has his head in the girl’s neck, drinking from her. The most concerning part is that she appears to be enjoying it. Her head is thrown back, and she’s licking her lips
and moaning.
“What’s going on?” I ask Julian over the noise of the music.
He eyes me warily. “This is a place vampires of New Orleans come to . . . enjoy human interaction.”
“What does that even mean?”
“They come here to have sex and drink,” Vzar explains, not sugarcoating it at all.
My cheeks warm at the imagery. There are no exposed body parts, but hands are in places they shouldn’t be in public, tongues are down throats, and moans and grunts surround me. The lust is thick in the air and it spins around me, beckoning me to succumb.
No matter how little experience I have, my body reacts. Wetness pools between my legs and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. My eyes meet Julian’s and his nostrils flare. Oh God. Does he know how I’m feeling? My breath hitches at the heat in his gaze. It’s as if endorphins and oxytocin are being pumped through the room. Julian’s hand shoots out, grabbing mine and pulling me toward the back.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine, Julian. I’m not such a prude that this would bother me. Nobody here is being tortured,” I say, lifting my brow and pursing my lips. Indeed, everyone here is enjoying themselves. Immensely.
“I’m so sorry, Ma—”
His words are cut off and his eyes widen at something behind me. I turn my head to see a beautiful, exotic woman approaching. Going straight to Julian, the woman embraces him.
“Mon amour, tu es ici.”
All I could make out from that was my love. I speak very little French, but the fact she called him her love makes me queasy.
“Addy, I didn’t realize you were in town,” Julian says affectionately. The way he looks at her—so familiar, so intimate—makes my stomach plummet. There’s history there, and I’m not sure I want to know anything about it.
“I just got into town. I’m so glad to see you, Jude.”
Jude. I haven’t heard anyone call him that but his brother, and the smile he wears for her guts me.
Blood That Binds: A Vampire Romance (Blood Legends Duet) Page 20
