"None of this instant mumbo jumbo in my house. That's what's wrong with the world today. Everyone wants everything instantly. Balderdash, that's what it is. You grind those beans, Coralie. Everything precious is worth waiting for."
Gah, she was such a watering pot. Swiping the tears away with an impatient hand, she shook the memories off and entered the kitchen. Sure enough, coffee brewed in the coffee machine, a handwritten note propped next to the carafe.
Forgive me, Chere. I had to leave. Promise me you'll stay off the streets, at least until I have caught the bastard.
The bold strokes had an old-fashioned feel about them and the reminder of the danger lurking in the shadows made her shiver. As soon as her shift was finished, she would visit Jerry and try and make her see sense.
****
"Really, Coral, listen to yourself. You've fallen for the oldest trick in the world. You didn't stumble on the wrong boat, silly. He made that story up to get into your knickers, that's all. And you fell for it, hook, line and sinker. He must be good, mind."
"It wasn't a line, Jerry. You weren't there, and…"
"Coral, honey, I love you dearly, but where men are concerned you're so naïve." Jerry's green eyes narrowed in concern and she pulled Coralie in for quick hug. "If there was a killer roaming the streets, we would know about it. It would be all over the papers. And besides, the agency rang this morning. The client from last night left an extra-large tip and he has made several more bookings with them. Does that sound like you've got the wrong boat?"
He couldn't have. Coralie stopped listening. Bile rose in her throat when she remembered something else about last night. Shit, how could she have been so stupid?
"Coral, are you okay? Coral?" A chair hit the back of her legs and she sat down with a thump. "Here, drink this and no arguments. You've gone as white as a sheet."
Coralie lifted the glass to her lips. Jerry's firm grip on her hand gave her no choice. She wrinkled her nose at the strong smell of alcohol and coughed when the navy rum hit the back of her throat. Fire burned through her as she swallowed the liquid and her eyes watered.
"There, that's better. You've got some color back in your cheeks. Now, spill. What else did the bastard do to you? I swear I'll give him a song and dance he won't forget in a hurry, if he books me."
Jerry's emerald eyes glittering in fury reminded her of Lucas and Coralie forced a smile on her lips to placate her friend. All this came about to save Jerry's job. It wouldn't do for her to lose it now, over some misguided act of revenge.
"He didn't do anything I didn't want him to, Jerry. Calm down." She had to smile at her friend's raised eyebrows in response.
"He's clearly done something. So spit it out. He can't have been lousy, 'cause you've got the whole 'having had a good seeing to' look about you."
Coralie rolled her eyes. Trust Jerry to not mince her words.
"He was far from lousy, Jerry. He was fucking spectacular, but that's not the issue."
Jerry burst into laughter and Coralie's own lips twitched in response.
"Hallelujah, finally someone has shown you a good time. I can almost forgive him for the tale he's spun. Look, hun, I've been telling you for ages there's nothing wrong with a bit, or a lot of safe sex." She winked at her. "You've been living like a nun for far too long. Your mum wouldn't have wanted that."
Oh heck, why did she have to bring Mummy into this? Coralie bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying, again. Bloody hell, did awesome sex turn you into a walking watering can?
"Mum wouldn't have wanted me to get so swept away that we never used a condom either."
There, she said it.
"Oh, hun, that wasn't the cleverest of moves. At least you don't have to worry about falling pregnant." Jerry gave Coralie's hand a reassuring squeeze and Coralie smiled grimly. No, there was no chance of that, ever. "I'll make you an appointment at the clinic, just to be safe."
"Thanks, Jerry. I could swing for him. And I could kick myself for being so stupid."
"Ah, hun, it happens. At least you got some great sex out of it. I want to know all the details, you hear me? Every little one. Oh. He wasn't tiny, was he?"
Coralie couldn't help it. She laughed, seeing Lucas in her mind's eye, standing at the bottom of her bed. Definitely not tiny at all. Not that she had seen that many cocks. When she said as much to Jerry, she too burst into laughter. The ensuing conservation had both women gigging until their sides hurt, but little Suz's sleepy-eyed emergence from her bedroom ensured they changed the subject.
Coralie forgot about her worries during the intervening hours in the company of Jerry's little girl. She was the daughter she'd never had. Her own baby girl had been born far too soon, almost killing a sixteen-year-old Coralie in the process. She had buried her baby along with any hope of ever having any children of her own on that chilly November day so many years ago.
She pushed the gloomy thoughts away, as she tucked a now-sleepy Suz into bed with a kiss. Jerry was a lucky woman indeed. Hearing her talking on the phone to take another booking for the end of the week brought a shiver of foreboding with it.
What if Lucas had not been lying? What if the killer was just covering his tracks? Damn it, she was so confused. Jerry knew more about men than she did, that's for sure. She said goodbye to her friend and walked the short distance back to her house, pulling her coat a bit tighter around herself. The air was chillier tonight and she shivered, increasing her steps, suddenly in a hurry to get home.
The shadows looked menacing, and could she hear a growl in those bushes? Her heart leapt in her throat when she spotted the glowing eyes in the foliage next to her. Her scream died on her tongue when a huge grey wolf jumped in front of her. He was followed by several more of the beautiful creatures. Each one stopped to look at her, before bounding across the road until only the original wolf was left. He cocked his head to one side, his eyes boring into hers. He growled at her and she finally found the strength to run, the howling ringing in her ears.
She didn't stop running until she reached the safety of her house. She slammed the door behind her, willing her beating heart to slow down, her labored breathing far too loud in the quiet house.
What the hell had she just witnessed, and why couldn't she shake the ridiculous notion that she had seen that wolf before? Those eyes had looked so familiar.
It was much later, after she had changed the sheets on her bed and slammed the door on her washing machine with much more force than necessary, and she was stirring her hot chocolate, she remembered why the wolf's eyes had looked so familiar. They were the exact same shade as Lucas's friend Ion. Fuck it, the wolf had even winked at her.
The mug crashed to the floor, chocolate splashing against her legs and up the side of the kitchen cabinet. She ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Her stomach churned as she lifted her hair out of the way to study those marks on her neck again. If Ion was a wolf, then Lucas was… The room swayed as the truth hit her and her hands groped for the basin to support herself. She missed. Her arms flailed like a windmill, and she pitched backwards. The back of her head connected with the bath with a sickening thud and pain exploded, radiating down her spine. She collapsed on the floor. The coppery smell of blood made her gag, before everything went black.
Chapter Seven
Putain tout a l'enfer et au dos. The demon had been here. His acrid stench burned into Lucas's nostrils. His eyes narrowed, watching the little group of inebriated girls stumbling across the path. Humans. Did they never learn?
Granted, they weren't aware of half the things that went bump in the night, but even if they were, they would still put themselves in danger needlessly. Had he not done the same, when he was human? Lured by Carmen's beauty, he'd paid the ultimate price, losing his humanity.
The girls showing their wares for all to see didn't know a demon was lurking in the shadows. Not that the human race needed demons to wreak havoc. Humans were quite capable of destroying each other without any
help from the supernatural community.
Every time Lucas banned Jacomo back to the hell he sprang from, another stupid human summoned him back to earth. They had played this game for centuries, and Lucas was growing weary of it. Jacomo was getting more and more desperate. That much was clear from his attack patterns and he was narrowing the field. His summoner was here in London, and it was only a matter of time before Jacomo struck gold and Lucas's chance of killing the demon went down the drain again.
Lucas sensed the wolf before he saw him and with one last careful scan of the perimeter he too sunk back into the shadows. He found Ion waiting for him in the park. The little cluster of trees shielded them from view of any passers-by. The shifter was back in his human form, the scowl on his face matching Lucas's own.
"I'm getting mightily fed up with chasing shadows. The bastard moves all over the place. Tonight alone we thwarted three attacks. Three, for fuck's sake. He's getting bolder."
"And more careless. We'll find him, Ion. We have to, and soon. He's making too many mistakes."
Ion shook his head in disgust. "He's not the only one. The brunette that showed up on your boat last night, she…"
"She what?" Lucas whirled around and pinned the shifter to the nearest tree in the blink of an eye. "Her name is Coralie, and you've no business sniffing around her."
Ion growled in response and pointedly stared at Lucas's hand on his throat. Merde, what had gotten into him? He released Ion with a muttered apology and forced himself to unclench his fists. Ion's amused laughter made his blood boil anew.
"Well, well, well. It's been a while since I've had that response from you. What's so special about this one?"
"Nothing at all." Lucas ground the words out through clenched teeth, an image of Coralie's doe-like eyes darkened in the throes of passion in his mind. No way in hell was he going to tell Ion about her abilities. Ion may be his friend, but he also now sat on the council. And Carmen had shown too much interest in Coralie already. If she knew he'd been unable to erase her memory, his maker would order her execution without a moment's hesitation and he would have no choice but to obey. The branch in his hand cracked and Ion's mocking laughter echoed around the park.
"Sure, Lucas, that's why you're abusing innocent trees. Marnie will be delighted. She's been worrying over you."
"There's no need. I'm fine. Or at least I will be, once we have sent Jacomo back where he belongs." He forced a smile on his lips at Ion's doubtful look. "Just because you and Marnie are all loved up, doesn't mean I want to be."
"Of course not. I wouldn't dream of suggesting such a thing." Ion's voice shook with barely suppressed amusement. "But I know you spent the night with the little human, and when all this settles down, perhaps you should bring her over for dinner." He ducked the punch Lucas aimed at him and continued, "That's if she doesn't get herself killed, walking the streets by herself at night. Don't worry––she got home safely. I followed at a distance."
****
Lucas rolled his shoulders, watching Coralie's house. He'd left his watch soon after that conversation with Ion in the park, giving curt instructions to the young vamp come to replace him. Anxiety clawed a hole in his gut, leading him here. Having to leave her in the morning hadn't sat well with him after the night they'd shared. Even though he'd left her a note, he could imagine her reaction when she'd woken up alone. Guilt gnawed away at him, an unfamiliar emotion. He never had a problem leaving before, but every fiber of his body had wanted to stay holding the woman curled up so trustingly by his side.
He didn't deserve that trust, and if she knew what he really was, she would no doubt run away screaming. They always did and he usually enjoyed the thrill of the chase, knowing that taking their memories away would keep his secret safe, and him well fed. So why did the fact that he'd tasted her sit so heavily on his conscience? He hadn't meant to bite her last night, but blown away by her responsiveness, his ironclad control had slipped and he'd sunk his fangs into her soft flesh. His cock hardened, recalling her passionate response. She'd passed out, bringing him to his senses, and he'd spent the rest of the night making it up to her.
He hadn't taken enough blood to establish a strong connection, but still, he could sense her. She was upstairs, her heart beating slowly, as though in a deep sleep. Yet the lights were on. The unease he'd felt all night increased tenfold and he made his way across the street, the locks no deterrent to his strength. His fangs came out the minute he stepped into the house, his nostrils flared, and his vision clouded over as bloodlust grabbed him by the throat. An inhuman growl rumbled from his throat and he covered the distance to the bathroom in a blur.
****
Coralie's head was on fire. Licks of pain shot down her spine. The touch of coolness on her shoulders barely registered in the pain-filled haze. Someone was talking, in low, urgent tones, and more coolness surrounded her – her stomach rebelled as she was lifted. Pain suffused her body. Sharp red-hot stabs made her cry out and grope blindly for something, someone to hold her, to rescue her, to make it stop.
Thick, hot liquid filled her mouth. Coralie struggled against the iron hold on her body, the hypnotic voice in her ear urging her to drink, reassuring her she would be okay. She gagged, her body rebelling against the thick tide of fluid in her mouth. And still the pressure against her throat increased, forcing her to swallow more of the thick goo. It caused a new kind of pain down her body and she writhed against the hold on her. Fire pushed through her veins, as every cell in her body tingled with awareness. Sensations too intense to name overtook her, as Coralie hovered between life and the sleep of oblivion – every pain-filled exhale centering in the back of her head until blissful darkness took it all away.
She came to, surrounded by softness. Cool silk sheets slid across her naked skin and she moaned her contentment. Stretching like a cat, her outstretched arms encountered an unfamiliar headboard and she froze. Where was she? Semi-darkness met her when she gingerly opened her eyes. Her heart beat a painful rhythm against her breastbone, and she bit back the shriek of fear, as her memories returned in Technicolor detail.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. This had to be some sort of desperate nightmare. What she remembered couldn't be real, it just couldn't. If it was then everything she'd ever believed in wasn't real either, and heaven help her, the man she allowed into her home and into her body was a monster. A movement outside the door had her scrambling off the bed in horror. The sheet wrapped itself around her legs and she stumbled. Lucas' arm came out of nowhere and saved her from pitching forward onto her face.
"Easy, Chere, you're still recovering. Get back into bed."
Nooooooo. The silent scream echoed in her head. Her stomach churned and acid burnt the back of her throat. Adrenaline coiled her muscles and she struggled to free herself out of his cloying hold. His dry scent filled her lungs and terror made her voice shrill.
"No, let me go. Let me go. You have no right. Let me go, damn you. Please…" Coralie’s voice broke on the last word. She blinked the hot tears away, as the futility of her struggles dawned on her. His grip on her hadn't lessened. Her struggles achieved absolutely nothing and no one would hear her screams. He'd taken her back on his narrow boat. Oh God, she was doomed.
The sheet had slipped in her struggles. His hand rested just under her exposed breast and she screwed her eyes shut in terror. He breathed heavily into her ear, his erection pressing into her backside, and she froze in his arms.
"Please don't hurt me."
He released her immediately with a vicious French curse. He spun her around so fast her head snapped back and a dull pain spread down her back. She bit her lip and clutched for the sheet in a desperate bid to cover herself.
"Putain l'enfer, I would never hurt you, Coralie. Damn it, look at me and stop acting as though I'm going to attack you."
She shook her head. "No, you're, you're a…" God, she couldn't say it out loud, that would make it real and this just had to be some sort of desperate nightmare.
/> His sigh raised the ends of her fringe and she didn't have the strength to resist the gentle hands urging her back onto the bed. But she didn't have to look at him. She couldn't look at him. God only knew what he would plant in her mind if she did.
"Yes, I'm a vampire, and count yourself lucky I am." His hands probed the back of her head carefully and she couldn't stop the slight wince. "Still sore?" His voice dropped an octave with the whispered question and he tilted her head up.
"Answer me, Chere. Please, open your eyes. You lost a lot of blood. I need to know you're all right."
Oh my God, what did he mean? Renewed terror shot through her at the things she was imagining and she clutched the sheet as though it was a shield. Her fingers cramped, the pain grounding her in reality and beads of perspiration erupted on her skin. The blood rushed in her ears and her lungs hurt with the effort it took to slow her breathing.
"Calm down." One cool hand settled over hers, his thumb rubbing circles on her wrists and she wrenched herself away.
"Stop it. I've fallen for this once. It's not happening again."
His whispered laughter skittered across her skin, just under her ear and she scooted further away from him. One hand still had the sheet in a death grip as the other covered her neck in horror. Her eyes connected with his.
She wasn't prepared for the flash of pain she saw in his eyes, or the way he grew tense under her scrutiny, his eyes darting to the spot on her neck her hand covered. His eyebrows narrowed and a flush appeared on those perfectly sculpted cheekbones.
"I owe you an apology for that. I didn't mean to…"
"Spare me." He reared back, as she spat the words at him. "You didn't mean to what, feast on me? Use me and then discard me like an old shoe? Play with me like a dog with a chew toy? Damn you, you had no right. No right at all."
Lure of Forever Page 4
