by Tina Folsom
“Too deep, yeah, I heard you. What now?”
“I can get the wounds to close from the inside,” she hedged, darting a cautious look from him to Wesley.
Suspicion rose in him. “How?”
“You have to drink my blood.”
For an instant, Haven was unable to speak. His vocal cords constricted.
“Hell, no!” Wesley protested. “You fucking bitch—you’re trying to turn him into one of you.”
He raised his stake and lunged for her, but Yvette had already jumped up. She dove in the other direction, out of his reach.
As she turned with an amazing speed—a speed he’d seen other vampires use before—she faced his brother with her hands at her hips, and her legs set in a wide stance—as wide as her tight dress with the ripped seam allowed. She was ready to attack.
“It won’t turn him,” Yvette claimed.
“Sure, you’d say that.”
“It’s true. A human has to be on the verge of death to be turned. Merely drinking vampire blood when alive doesn’t turn you into a vampire.” She tossed Wesley another angry glare. “You should be grateful that I’m even offering it. No vampire shares his blood lightly. It’s a privilege. I should just let him suffer for what he’s gotten me and Kimberly into.”
Haven wondered whether he could believe her. Would it truly be safe to take her blood? He shifted his position, the move sending a bolt of pain through his body. Damn, this was worse than he’d thought. He looked down at the large gashes on his stomach. The sight of his angry flesh conjured up nausea and something else: a tiny twinge of fear that the injuries were more severe than he’d thought at first. If he passed out again, who’d take care of Wesley? “Why are you offering, then?”
Yvette growled. “I’m not anymore.” To Haven she said, “Your brother has just sealed your fate. Go ahead, see whether you two can stop the bleeding. My work’s done.” Clearly pissed off, she turned away from them, walked to the cots at the opposite wall and slumped down on one. “Why should I even care?”
Damn him if she didn’t look hurt. How was that possible? Haven pulled himself to a sitting position, despite the pain it caused him. Could it be that her humanity was truly stronger than her animal side, and that she really wanted to help him?
“What will your blood do to me?”
“Hav! Are you crazy?”
“Stay out of this, Wes.” For once, he wished his brother wouldn’t be so protective of him.
“You’re assuming I’m still willing to give it to you.” Yvette pouted. Nothing of her vamp side was visible. She was all hurt woman right now, her arms crossed over her chest, a defiant glare in her eyes. Did she know that her posture emphasized the plump swells of her breasts, making them a focal point Haven couldn’t take his eyes off?
“What if I asked you nicely?” He’d definitely gone over the cliff now. Had he just asked her to give him her blood? What the hell was wrong with him?
Wesley threw up his hands. “You’re mad! You’re totally mad! If you do this, I’ll never speak to you again. Do you hear me?”
Haven waved his brother off. Wes was full of hot air. He’d calm down later.
At Wesley’s words, Yvette smirked. “Just to piss off your little brother, I’ll do it.”
His heart shouldn’t jump like that just because she’d agreed, yet it did. Excitement coursed through him, even though he had no idea what to expect. What if he gagged on her blood? What if it tasted disgusting?
But there was no turning back now. Yvette was already walking toward him again. When she dropped down next to him, he sensed the warmth of her body and smelled the orange scent of her skin. She moved behind him.
“Lean back.”
He eased back until his back connected with her chest.
“Idiot!” Wesley chastised, but he ignored him.
Feeling Yvette’s body so close to his was all he could deal with right now. Haven turned his head to the side and watched her as she bit her own wrist. He only caught a quick glimpse of her sharp fangs as they dug into her flesh and pierced the skin, but the sight made him shiver.
Blood instantly oozed from her wrist, and she brought it to his mouth. “Just suckle from it.”
“How much?”
“Your body will know when to stop.” Her voice was low and husky, so sinful, it made the little hairs on his nape rise. Fear rose with it, but it was drowned out by the soft press of her breasts against his back and the warmth it sent through his body.
Haven set his lips to her open vein and took a tentative lick.
“Eew!” Wesley’s disgusted groan barely registered. Instead, a taste of richness coated his tongue. As it reached the back of his throat, an explosion of flavors hit him: oranges, cinnamon, cloves. Spicy and rich, it filled his mouth. He took more, wanting to prolong the experience. He’d always thought blood would taste metallic and stale, but this was so different from anything he’d ever known. Her blood was fresh and young, vibrant and rich at the same time.
Haven couldn’t stop the moan that started deep in his chest and burst from his throat. With one hand, he gripped her arm and drew her closer, so she wouldn’t pull away from him. He felt her breasts press harder into his back and her head lean against his. Her warm breath blew against his nape.
“Yes,” she whispered so low only he could hear it.
The intimacy of her action wasn’t lost on him. Giving one’s blood to another person, a stranger at that, was a gesture so pure and personal, he could only speculate why she’d offered it.
When her blood reached his stomach, his entire body coiled like a tight spring. He tensed at the foreign feeling.
“Relax.” Her coaxing word in his ear soothed. “Let go. I’m here.”
There was something strangely comforting in her words. He allowed the tension to flow from his body and took more of her blood into him. Her taste was intoxicating, and coupled with her body close to his, there was nowhere else he’d rather be at this moment.
He drew on her vein, getting addicted to her taste.
“What the fuck?” Wesley’s voice reached him, just as Haven noticed Yvette going slack behind him.
Eleven
“The only odd thing I found in Yvette’s house was this.” Zane tossed the bag with Yvette’s hair onto the kitchen island. Everybody was assembled in Samson’s house: Samson, the owner and founder of Scanguards, Gabriel, Thomas—their IT genius—, Amaury, and Eddie, the youngest of the vampires. In addition to the vampires, Oliver, Samson’s human assistant was with them. As always in a crisis situation, Samson’s Nob Hill Victorian had turned into their command center.
From upstairs, Zane’s sensitive hearing picked up conversation fragments. He recognized Nina’s voice. It appeared that Amaury went nowhere without his headstrong mate. Completely pussy-whipped if anybody asked him, which of course nobody did. Maya’s voice mingled with Delilah’s a moment later. It figured that Gabriel couldn’t leave his wife at home either. Well, at least Maya was a vampire, so she was useful in combat, whereas both Nina and Delilah were human, and if anything, would only prove to be a distraction.
“What is it?” Samson asked and reached for the bag.
“Hair.” Zane shifted from one foot to the other. He wasn’t sure why he’d even brought the damn thing, but somehow he’d been compelled to. It was something out of the ordinary, and he’d been trained to watch for anything that didn’t make sense. Whether it would help them find Yvette in the end was another matter.
Samson pulled out a handful of strands of the black mane. “Whose is it?”
“Yvette’s.”
Samson sniffed and nodded.
“Yvette cuts her hair?” Amaury wrinkled his forehead. Zane tossed him an indifferent look. His linebacker-sized friend with the black, shoulder-length hair and sparkling blue eyes reached for the bag and inhaled. “Yep. It’s her.”
“Might be strange, but I doubt this’ll get us any information on where she is,” Thomas interjected.
The biker with the IT-geek brain frowned and ran his hand through his sandy-blonde hair.
Eddie, the young vampire he was mentoring and Nina’s brother, nodded in agreement. He slapped Thomas on the shoulder. “You’re right. Maybe she’s just not into long hair.”
Almost as tall as Thomas, he was built a little slimmer, yet no less strong. His face had dimples, now that it relaxed into a half-smile. Just like Thomas, he ran his hands through his dark-blonde hair. Did he have to imitate everything his mentor did? That was irritating.
Zane cursed silently. Did everyone here have a full head of hair except for him? Was that why he’d brought the bag in the first place? To torture himself?
“What else have we got?” Gabriel asked.
Thomas leaned over the map which was spread out on the kitchen island and pushed the bag with the hair to the side. “The limousine was found here.” He pointed to a location in the Richmond district. “Luckily, the company had an antitheft device in the vehicle. So we were able to track it.”
“And the driver?”
“Still looking for him. The company was a little vague about who he is. Eddie and I will be paying them a visit in person to see what’s going on.”
Samson nodded. “Good. Amaury, I want you to go and inspect the limousine. See if you can detect anything, any traces of scents, blood, anything.”
“Will take care of it.”
“Has Kimberly’s agent received any demands for ransom?”
Gabriel shook his head. “I just got off the phone with him. Nothing. He’s going to cancel her appearances for the next days, telling everybody she’s come down with a severe flu and is contagious. Hopefully, that’ll keep people from asking questions until we know what’s going on.”
“Sensible,” Samson commented. Then he looked at Thomas again. “Any luck with tracing Yvette’s cell phone?”
“It’s switched off. I’ll see what I can do when I get back to my computer.”
“What about her dog?” Zane threw into the round and suddenly looked at a bunch of surprised faces.
“Yvette has a dog?” Gabriel asked. “She never mentioned that.”
Zane snorted. “Of course she didn’t; she can’t even admit it to herself.”
Samson gave him an impatient look. “Would you care to enlighten us for once, Zane, and stop with your cryptic remarks?” The sternness in his voice underscored his boss’ impatience.
Zane knew when to pick a fight. This wasn’t one of those times. “She’s got this golden lab that’s been following her for a few months. Claims it’s just a stray, but the evidence in her house says otherwise. She feeds him. She’s even built in a doggie door. Hell, the dog even listens to her.”
“Well, let’s get it. Maybe the dog can find her.” Samson’s face displayed a ray of hope.
“Dog’s gone. I checked the house and the garden: it’s nowhere to be found.”
“Damn. Do you think she took the dog with her on her assignment?” Samson mused.
“She wouldn’t do that,” Gabriel interrupted. “That would be completely against all rules.”
Zane raised an eyebrow. Yeah, Gabriel was all for strict rules. “And see where your rules have gotten her.”
“This is neither the time nor the place to air your grievances,” Gabriel snapped.
“When if not now? If you’d let me use mind control on the girl, Yvette wouldn’t be the one missing right now.” And damn it if he didn’t feel a tad bit guilty about that fact. He should be the one in trouble right now, not Yvette. It wasn’t Yvette’s assignment. It was his. He should have been the one protecting Kimberly, then maybe there wouldn’t be anyone missing right now. Maybe whatever had happened could have been averted. After all, he was stronger and more lethal than Yvette—and much more ruthless for that matter. If anybody had attacked him and Kimberly after leaving the premier party, he would have been able to defeat them.
“I will not be second guessed on my decision, Zane!”
“It was a mistake to assign her.”
“What are you saying? That she isn’t a good bodyguard?” Gabriel squared his chest and glared at him. “I’m sure she’ll be only too happy to hear what you said once she’s back. I’d watch my back if I were you, or Yvette will kick your ass.”
Zane narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. His hands clenched into fists; he was dying to deal his boss a well-placed punch. But he also knew his place. And it wouldn’t serve Yvette if he was taken off this case. His own feelings had to be put aside.
“Once she’s back, I welcome the opportunity to get my ass kicked by her.” And he wasn’t even lying. She was like a little sister to him: a very annoying, very spoiled little sister. And protecting her was just what a big brother did.
The door swung open, and Nina popped her head in. Her short honey curls fell into her face. Instantly, Zane saw a bright smile flash over Amaury’s face as his eyes traveled over her with unchecked lust. The two had bonded over four months earlier, and Amaury was still looking at her like he did the first time Zane had seen them together. He tried to shake the image from his mind.
“Delilah is asking for you, Samson. The baby is moving.”
“Excuse me, guys. I’ll be right back.” Samson rushed past Nina without a backwards glance.
“And I think the blackout vans are outside,” Nina informed them. “I just saw them arrive from upstairs.”
“Thanks, Nina,” Gabriel answered.
It was almost sunrise, and since they needed to continue their work and be able to move around the city during daylight hours, Scanguards’ specially designed vans, which were equipped to take vampires around without exposing them to the sun, would have to be used. Human drivers employed by Scanguards drove the vans and knew about the cargo they were transporting. Only the most loyal of Scanguards’ human employees were ever given any inkling of the vampires among their midst. It was safest that way. In emergency situations, they had all driven one of the blackout vans themselves, but in general, it was safer to let a human driver take over.
Nina turned to leave, but stopped as if she’d forgotten something. “And, could somebody please make that dog out there stop barking. It’s getting on Delilah’s nerves.”
Too engrossed in their discussions, Zane hadn’t paid any notice to the sounds outside the house. Now he exchanged a look with Gabriel. Could they be so fortunate?
Twelve
The smell of human food was the first thing Yvette sensed when the darkness lifted. Her body felt as if she’d been beaten to a pulp and then jammed into a blender. What the hell had happened to her? Had the witch tortured her like she’d tortured Haven? At the thought of him, she reared up from her prone position and opened her eyes.
She was still in the same room as before, and she was on something soft: a cot. Her eyes instantly sought out Kimberly. Yvette breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her lying on an identical cot next to her, curled up, her eyes closed. On the makeshift bed furthest from her, Wesley was slumbering as well.
She reached out to Kimberly, wanting to reassure herself that she was okay and that the witch hadn’t hurt her.
“She’s okay,” Haven’s quiet voice came from the floor. Her eyes snapped in his direction. She watched him as he rose and sat down at the foot of her cot.
“Did the witch—”
He shook his head before she could finish the question. “Kimberly was smarter than I and didn’t resist. She’s sleeping now.” He glanced over to her cot, and Yvette followed his look.
“We all ate. They were tired. But I wanted to make sure you were all right.” His eyes scanned her, and she felt oddly aware of her body and the black dress which made her look far more feminine than she was used to.
“What happened?”
Haven gave her an apologetic look. “Do you remember that you gave me your blood?”
Her heart made an excited flip. How could she forget? When he’d suckled from her wrist, she’d felt nearly delirious. She’d never b
efore felt the kind of pleasure that had coursed through her body. “Are you healed?”
Haven smiled and stretched out his arms, presenting his still-naked chest and stomach to her. It looked perfect, unmarred. And sexier than before. The man had a seriously ripped body made for sin.
“You tell me.”
“You look … good.”
When he dropped his arms to his side, his face took on a serious look. “I took too much. You passed out.”
“Well, I guess I’m lucky you guys didn’t stake me while you had the chance.”
Haven nudged closer, casting a quick sideways glance at Kimberly and Wesley, who were still sleeping. “Is that what you think I’d do after you helped me?” he asked through clenched teeth. “That’s how low your opinion of me is?”
Yvette glared back at him but kept her voice down. “What do you expect? You kidnapped me, and you made no secret of your hatred for my species.”
“And despite the fact that you knew that, you helped me. Why?” His blue eyes bored into her, probing, searching.
“A temporary moment of weakness. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again,” she spat. Ungrateful bastard. Maybe she should have let him suffer.
“Because I won’t let you do it again.”
Yvette narrowed her eyes. “I see. Feeling dirty because you have vampire blood in your veins now?” How dare he look down at her gift! No vampire gave his blood to just anybody. It was a treasure to be protected. She for one had never shared her blood with anybody—neither during sex, nor to heal.
“No,” he hissed and grabbed her upper arms, pressing her back against the wall. “I won’t let you put yourself in danger like that anymore. You passed out—because I took too much. You should have stopped me before I weakened you like that.”
He was concerned for her health? What the hell was going on? Had she woken up in some alternate reality? “It’s none of your business what I do.”
“It is when you endanger yourself. We all have to be strong together, or we’ll never get out of here. And that includes you. I got you into this mess.”
