“Yeah, I’m good,” I lied.
We exited the car and I followed after him on shaky legs. A silver-haired man greeted us at the door. I placed him in his mid-fifties to early sixties. I lowered my shields just enough to get a feel for him. Tiny little ants skittered up my spine. Yep, he’s a vampire, and from the feel of it, an old one. Not as old as Lenora, but close.
The man’s eyes locked on Tobias. If I didn’t know better, I could swear they were talking to each other. Vampires couldn’t mind speak, could they? I made a mental note to ask Tymon about it later.
“Please show Miss Duvail to the office,” Tobias ordered. Without so much as a glance in my direction, he turned and walked out of the room. My stupid heart twinged as I watched him walk away. I blamed it on vampire voodoo because there was no way in hell I had feelings for the man.
“This way, Miss Duvail. Can I offer you some coffee or tea?” the elderly vampire asked.
“Uh, no, I’m fine, thanks.” I followed him down a long hallway and into a large, very lush office. One end held a library with built-in, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a fireplace, and a sitting area. On the other sat a massive wooden desk with two comfortable-looking armchairs resting in front of it. It was inviting—the kind of office that made you want to come in and stay for a while.
He told me to have a seat, then started to leave.
“Wait, I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
“Oh, how rude of me. I’m Tobias Fearson.”
I stared after him in shock. If he was Tobias, then who was the man in the car? I had a sneaking suspicion I knew exactly who it was. Groaning at my stupidity, I lowered my head to my hands, and let out a whispered, “Shit.” Tymon was going to kill me.
5
I thought about leaving, but before I’d fully committed to the idea, the door opened, and in he walked. Correction, in he stalked. The t-shirt and jeans had been replaced with a collared shirt and dress pants. He looked good. I hated myself for thinking it.
“Guess who I just met?” The words came out as more of an accusation than a statement, but I was mad. His betrayal stung. Okay, so betrayal might be a bit harsh, but at the moment, I couldn’t think of a better word to describe it.
He stared back at me with those dark, bedroom eyes, and I wanted to poke them from his sexy, vampire head. “I never said I was Tobias.”
“Yeah? That’s funny because out of the five-hundred times I called you by his name, I don’t recall you correcting me. Tell me something, Mr. Wylde, what happened in the car?”
He rounded the desk, and I tried not to stare at his ass as he took a seat. “Please, call me Zack. What happened in the car was an unfortunate accident. I promise it won’t happen again.”
You’re damn right it won’t happen again. “Why am I here?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?”
“I’m a cop. It comes with the job,” I answered flatly. I should have been shaking in my boots. The guy wasn’t only a master vampire; he was Lord over all the vampires in the South. He was an apex predator times ten. So why wasn’t I pissing myself? Probably because I was too busy riding the anger-high from earlier.
“Exactly, you’re a cop, and it’s those detective skills that I need right now. Two weeks ago, Tamara went out with some friends. When she didn’t return home, we thought nothing of it. The girls enjoy going out. It’s not unusual for them to spend the night away. However, when a few days passed and none of the other girls heard from her, we started to get concerned. Tamara’s two closest friends, Naya and Anya, were with her that night. Both claim they know nothing. However, after Victoria, Gunter, and I questioned them, we all agree they’re hiding something. No one suspected foul play until we got the call from the police.”
I considered his answer before asking, “Why me? We both know Tymon is more qualified.”
“Yes, but Tamara didn’t ask for Tymon, she asked for you.”
“Why do you have humans in your seethe?” I wasn’t trying to be annoying; I actually wanted to know.
His brow arched. “Has Tymon taught you nothing about our culture?”
I thought of the stack of books sitting on my coffee table. Tymon had given them to me right after I joined PHD. I was supposed to study them. “I seemed to have skipped the part on vampire living. Please, humor me.”
He let out a sigh. “To simplify it, a seethe is like an extended family. At the head is the master or mistress. The rest of the seethe is comprised of both vampires and humans. The role each person plays in the seethe, depends on how it’s structured. For example, I currently have ten vampires and twenty or so humans in my seethe.”
“And their roles are?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“That depends. We have security, household staff, and nourishers, just to name a few.”
“What are nourishers?”
His lips pursed in irritation. “If you’d read your literature, you would know this.” We’d already established that I hadn’t done my homework. Now, he was just being annoying. When he realized he wasn’t going to get a rise out of me, he gave in and answered my question. “A vampire cannot feed from another vampire as our blood no longer holds the nutrients to provide proper nourishment. Human blood is essential to our survival.”
I pictured a harem of human women, all dressed in robes and lounging in a den of iniquity, while waiting with bated breath for their lord and master to call upon them. “So what? You have a bunch of humans just sitting around your house waiting for you to drop a fang?” The moment the words slipped from my lips, I wanted to take them back. Zack Wylde wasn’t my enemy, but if I didn’t watch myself, I could easily become his.
Long, masculine fingers drummed against the top of his desk. “Is it me, or is it all vampires you have a problem with?”
“You are aware that Lenora Moreau killed my partner, aren’t you?” I snapped back at him.
His lip curled. “Yes, I heard about that. I’m sorry for your loss. If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly did Lenora do?”
My brow shot up. He knew full well what she did. “Didn’t you read your literature?”
He smiled. “I seem to have skipped that chapter. Please, humor me.”
I leaned forward and stabbed him with an icy glare. “The bitch used a little girl to lure three cops into a dark alleyway. It was the perfect ruse. After all, who would suspect a child vampire? She tranced my partner and the other cop—with her voice. I managed to stop Mick from going after her but couldn’t reach the other cop. It was a trap. Lenora was on the ground, pretending to be hurt, while the little girl hid behind the dumpsters. The officer, who was down on one knee beside Lenora, wasn’t moving. The little vamp had him tranced, this time with her stare. Lenora somehow got inside my head. It was ten shades of fucked up. By the time I managed to get rid of her, it was too late.” My words faded to silence. The rest hurt to remember. Swallowing back the pain, I said, “We should never have been in that alley. I did everything wrong, and because of me, my partner is now dead.” His look of sympathy gutted me, and I had to glance away.
“No, Diana, your partner died because of Lenora, not you.”
My eyes snapped back to his. “You’re right. So tell me, as head of the SVO, why in the hell is she still alive? Why are you allowing her to turn children into vampires and terrorize innocent people? Why in the hell aren’t you stopping her?”
His jaw tensed. Evidently, Mr. Wylde didn’t like to be questioned. Well, tough shit because I wanted answers. “We’re working on it,” he clipped in a terse, uncompromising tone.
Not hard enough. I could tell from his stiff posture he was done. “Well, fair warning, if I ever see the bitch again, I’m ashing her ass.”
A moment passed before he responded. “Your warning is duly noted. Can I make a suggestion, though?”
“Knock yourself out.”
“As you pointed out, I’m head of the SVO. I hold this position for a reason; because no one else can take it from
me. Do you understand what that means?” Before I could respond, he said, “Only one person has come close to taking it from me, and that is Lenora Moreau. You may be a good cop, Miss Duvail, but your humanity is a weakness. Lenora is a morally corrupt vampire who does not believe that societal rules apply to her. She will do everything in her power to exploit that weakness. My advice is to tread carefully.”
I threw his words back at him. “Your warning is duly noted,” and then asked, “So, about tonight, what would you like me to do?”
“I would like for you to question Anya and Naya—to try to get them to open up to you, and hopefully gain some insight as to what happened the night Tamara went missing.”
“Can’t you just compel them to talk?” His eyes flashed red. It was a scary, pissed-off-monster red—a glaring indicator that I’d hit at least a dozen nerves. Fear rattled inside my chest as I sucked in a shaky breath. Way to piss off the vampire, Diana.
Right as I thought he was about to sprout fangs and go for my neck, he said, “Your insolence is tiring. Let me ask you a question. Do you pull your gun on your friends, or better yet, your family? Do you press the barrel to their heads and threaten them when they don’t do what you ask?”
Shit, he had a point. “I’m sorry. I’m a smart-ass. It’s a defense mechanism. My parents tried to beat it out of me; then they tried to shrink it out of me. It’s kind of ingrained. I’ll try to tone it down when I’m around you. That’s a big ask, by the way, because sarcasm is my middle name. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
He hovered over his desk, like a dark, deadly predator, his obsidian eyes studying me—no doubt thinking that I was partially unhinged. He would be wrong in his assessment. I was completely unhinged.
Finally, he spoke. “Apology accepted.” It wasn’t much, but at least it was something.
“Great. When do you want me to speak with the girls? I can’t promise results, but I’ll do my best.”
“How about now?”
I checked my watch. It was only eight-thirty. It seemed later than that. “Now’s fine. Are they here?” I glanced around his office.
“No, I’ll need to drive you to the compound.”
My phone rang as I followed Zack out the door. I saw my brother-in-law’s name flash across the screen and sent the call to voicemail. When it rang a second time, I turned it off. We reached the parking lot, and I couldn’t help but feel a tad bit wary about getting back inside a car with him.
“I promise to keep my hands to myself,” he murmured.
Did he just read my mind? Testing my theory, I formed a thought. Your ass looks good in those pants, and lobbed it at his back. I made sure to add a roar on the end for good measure. He didn’t so much as flinch. Damn, that would have been cool. A little invasive, but still cool.
Zack opted to drive us in his McLaren MP4. The fast car suited him. We barely made it out of the parking lot before he crawled right into my business. He wanted to know all about my parents and childhood. In return, I asked him how old he was and if his aversion to the camera meant that vampires couldn’t be photographed. They were questions that neither of us bothered to answer.
The compound, as it turned out, wasn’t located in Charleston, but on John’s Island, which was only thirty-minutes from the city. Moss-covered trees lined both sides of the driveway, giving it a low-country feel. About a mile up the lane, the trees opened up, and I got a full view of the sprawling estate.
Sucking in a surprised breath, I let out a whispered, “Wow.” The main house was quite impressive. It was the several smaller, yet equally attractive, buildings surrounding it that gave it the compound feel.
Zack drove around the side of the main house and into an underground garage. My eyes bugged at the expensive sports cars, motorcycles, and SUVs. He killed the engine before turning his attention to me.
“I take it you like cars.” His smile made my belly dip. I never thought I’d be attracted to a vampire, but this one made my insides quiver. “I thought we could have a quick drink to discuss logistics. After that, you could join the girls for dinner. How does that sound?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. You do realize they’re not going to talk to me if they know I’m with PHD.”
“Yes, but if we explain that Tamara asked for you and—”
I shook my head, and he stopped talking. “Something happened the night Tamara went missing, and that something has them too scared to talk. If you so much as peep the word cop, it’s over. What if you bring me in as a new nourisher? I can pretend I’m one of them. I can say I know Tamara and heard about what happened. If you know which bars or clubs they frequent, I can say I’ve seen them there.”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “It won’t work. We have protocols put into place for nourishers. Background checks are done and formal introductions have to be made before a new nourisher is accepted. After that, there’s a month of training. Plus, nourishers are normally Victoria’s responsibility. It would look odd if I was suddenly involved in the process.”
I scowled. “Forget how it looks. You’re the boss. Say you need a temporary replacement until Tamara is back. Tell them I’ve passed all the tests and am on loan from a friend. I don’t care what you say as long as it gives me a way in. You can fill the other vamps in on what’s happening while we’re eating.”
“Tobias is the only one who knows about you. I haven’t told the others yet.”
Uh-oh. “Whyyyy?”
“Because I don’t want to alarm them until I actually know something.”
Instead of heading outside, he led me across the garage. We came to a steel door and I waited for him to type in his passcode.
Not able to stand the silence any longer, I whispered, “Holy Batman, where’s your Batmobile?”
“Were you a troubled child?” he asked as we stepped into a large tunnel.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You have no idea.”
“I’m beginning to get one.” His dry response made me laugh harder.
We were almost to the other end of the tunnel when I had a thought. For Anya and Naya to believe that I was one of them, I needed to appear like one of them. In order to do that, Zack would need to—
I reached out to stop him. Our hands touched, and I felt the connection instantly snap into place. My nerve endings ignited as molten-hot lust pooled at my core. I bit back a moan. The man had some seriously sexy mojo going on. Evidently, he felt it too because he jerked his hand from my grasp, and snapped, “What?”
“Bite me,” I rasped.
His eyes widened, and he took a step back. “You’re not troubled, you’re insane.”
He was just figuring this out now? “Just humor me for a moment. You feed from the neck, right?”
“Either that or the wrist, why?”
“And how long do the bitemarks usually last, two days, maybe three?” I could tell by his expression he knew where this was going. Nourishers didn’t get three days to recover, which meant they always carried marks. “Think about it, if I waltz in claiming to be your new nourisher without any marks on me, how likely are they to believe me?”
“That’s a risk we’re going to have to take because I refuse to bite you,” he growled.
His answer infuriated me. It also stung. I was willing to sacrifice my virgin neck for the cause. The least he could do was nut up and take one for the team.
“Geez, it’s not like I have cooties.” I swept my hair to one side and bared my neck. “Come on, fang me. You know you wanna.”
His eyes flashed red. My heart leapt into my throat as he took a step forward. We were close, so close that I could smell the cinnamon of his breath. I liked cinnamon, a lot.
“Never taunt a vampire,” he said in a low, growly voice that scared the shit out of me but also made me hot.
“Fine, you don’t want to bite me, then march your sexy vampire ass into that house and get me someone who will,” I snapped back at him.
One minute we were growling at ea
ch other, and the next, my back was against the cold, concrete wall, and Zack was sinking his fangs into the side of my neck.
Talk about poking the bear; I’d just poked the vampire.
6
The bite itself hurt, but the euphoria that came after swept the pain away. Far, far away. His masculine fingers encircled my neck, imprisoning me against his warm, succulent mouth. My core tightened as a giant wave of lust barreled through me. I’m talking the X-rated let’s-get-naked-and-do-the-horizontal-tango-on-the-filthy-floor kind of lust. I was soaring in sensation and drowning in ecstasy. I couldn’t give two flying fucks if he drained me dry. Drain away, baby. As I slid my hand between our two bodies and palmed his rather impressive erection, a moan tore from his lips, the vibration of it ricocheting through me. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one affected. I could feel him coursing through my veins. He wasn’t physically touching me, yet I felt his hands everywhere. The orgasm built with each draw from his deliciously deadly fangs, and I knew it was going to be huge, monumental, the mother of all orgasms. Right as I was closing in on the finish-line and practically teetering on the precipice of nirvana, he stopped.
“No!” I gasped as he slowly retracted his fangs from my neck, while at the same time thinking, Shut up, Diana. Yes, I was actually arguing with myself, but damn it, I really wanted to come. Tears of frustration sprang to my eyes, and I whimpered when I felt his warm tongue lick across the side of my neck.
“There, that should do it.” His whiskey-coated rasp made me shiver with need—the need to ride his giant vampire cock.
This was bad. No, it was worse than bad. How was I supposed to concentrate now? Glaring daggers at him, I croaked, “You’re a cruel man, Mr. Wylde.”
“And you, Miss Duvail, are a menace. Now, before we proceed any further, I’m going to have to ask you for your gun.”
I snorted. “And give up my only means of protection? I don’t think so.”
Wicked Love Page 69
