by Kym Grosso
Typing numbers into their cell phones, Rowan and Samantha politely exchanged numbers. Samantha wanted to ask Rowan to let her into the library, but knew it would never happen. She might be friendly, but she was nothing short of ruthless when it came to protecting coven secrets. Explaining that she had a friend waiting, Samantha quickly ran down the coven steps and into Luca’s waiting arms. On an intellectual level, Samantha knew the coven was supposed to feel like home, but on an emotional level, it felt like a prison and she couldn’t wait to leave.
Luca turned the ignition and tried to figure out how he’d pitch his next idea to Samantha. They had come up with practically nothing at the coven. It was clear that Ilsbeth didn’t want them to have the amulet or speak of it, but besides that, they didn’t have much more information than before they came. If the object scared Ilsbeth, that was not a good sign.
Luca wondered what the amulet did that caused Ilsbeth to insist they stop looking for it. He knew one fact for certain; it was important enough that someone would murder in order to get it. It was possible that Asgear had had the amulet and then that Samantha had stolen it at some point. Perhaps she’d hidden it? Samantha’s memory had failed her so far, and Luca wasn’t sure he wanted her to remember the rest of the gory details of her abduction. Overnight, Samantha had appeared to grow stronger, and he didn’t want to risk a relapse.
The problem, Luca surmised, was that there weren’t many places he was aware of that they could even search. The only two locations she’d been at for certain were the mausoleum in St. Louis cemetery and Sangre Dulce, where Samantha had been bespelled into posing as a waitress and submissive. The mausoleum was out of the question, because it had been destroyed. Dominique and Ilsbeth had taken care of that.
As for Sangre Dulce, Luca was concerned about taking her back to the club. If they went back, there was a risk she could be traumatized all over again. When she’d been in Kade’s basement during her initial interrogation, she’d nearly fainted after being shown pictures of herself nude, serving drinks. She only had a vague memory of having a drink with a man, James, who was really Asgear. No other memories existed for her.
Shifting in his seat, he drove towards home and sighed. “So listen, Samantha,” he began. “Since Ilsbeth was a bust, we don’t have many options. I have a plan, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.” He didn’t bother looking over at Samantha to gauge her reaction, and kept his eyes fixed on the road.
“Well, let’s just say, I’m open to suggestions. There was nothing in my old room. In fact, they’d cleaned the place out. And until Ilsbeth or Rowan try to log into the coven site, we can’t hack into their server. So, whatever’s on your mind has got to be better than the whole lot of nothin’ we’ve got now.” She shrugged and glanced over at him.
“Okay, if you’re open to it, here goes. I’m thinking it’s a real possibility that Asgear stole or found this amulet. Maybe he knew what it did, maybe he didn’t. I’m also thinking that maybe you took it and hid it before or during being bespelled. Just because he bespelled you, it doesn’t mean you liked him. He could have told you what it did, and you inherently knew he wouldn’t put it to good use. Now, how someone else knows you were with him or that you might have had it, is a true mystery.” Luca steeled himself before telling Samantha that they were returning to her living hell. “I think that we need to go back to Sangre Dulce to take a look around, maybe talk to the other waitresses, look for clues. We know you were there.”
Samantha silently contemplated his proposal. She loathed the idea of returning to that club. It had forever fucked up her life: one decision to go out with friends, one decision to have a drink with a stranger. Going back could bring back her memory or not. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to remember. She could literally pick up with her life and move on, not having to worry about the frightening lost memories. Yet if she went back to the club, she might possibly find evidence to lead them to the amulet. Whoever was looking for that damn thing would not leave her in peace until they got it. There was a real possibility that she had done exactly what Luca had postulated. She would never know until she tried.
“Yes. Let’s do it,” she agreed.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes. Until we find this amulet, I’ll never get my life back. I need this, Luca. I need normalcy. Maybe supernaturals are used to living in a state of constant stress and chaos, but I’m not. I want my boring, Starbucks drinking, nine to five working life back. It wasn’t much but there’s one thing I’ve realized; when you lose everything…your job, your home, your identity, the only person who can put the pieces back together again is you. I’ve got to do this.” She caught Luca’s eyes and put her hand on his thigh.
He reached down and covered her small hand with his. Slowly rubbing the inside of her palm with his calloused thumb, he realized how protective he’d become of her. She was so beautiful and brave, willing to return to Sangre Dulce. She wasn’t a weak human lying down in defeat. No, she was a fighter. A quick glance at her smiling up at him melted his heart. What was she doing to him?
He hadn’t even known her very long but felt a deep connection to Samantha that he didn’t think he’d ever be able to break. His thoughts drifted to Ilsbeth’s words; it was rare, but they could conceive. A baby. Silently admonishing himself for even thinking about it, he blew out a breath. What the hell was happening to him? Luca didn’t do humans or love and here he was thinking about babies? While growing aroused at her touch, he was more concerned about the tightness he felt in his chest. I’m falling for this little witch.
“What are you thinking about? You okay?” Samantha broke his train of thought.
“Just planning our next move,” he lied. “When we go to Sangre Dulce, I’ll be by your side the entire time. You’re not the person you were when you were Rhea. Rhea was mere illusion, someone you were forced to be. We’ll go in, do our business and get out,” he promised.
“You know, when I saw those pictures, at Kade’s, I was just shocked that I could have been made to parade around naked like that in some kind of a magic stupor. I felt like a fool. And then there’s that whole submissive thing. I mean, it’s not like I’m not open to fantasizing in the bedroom, but what I did wasn’t exactly private.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head in embarrassment.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Samantha. Seriously. Number one, you were not in control of yourself. Asgear forced you against your will. And number two; even if you were a submissive, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. A lot of people experiment with fantasies. It can be fun.” He winked at her, trying to lighten the mood.
“I, uh, I don’t know, Luca,” she hesitated for a moment before continuing. “It’s just that I really haven’t ever been so intimate with anyone…until you. What we did last night, it was amazing. It’s not that I haven’t, you know, had sex. God, this is embarrassing. Okay, I’m just going to say it. There’s been no other man who made me, you know, come like that.” She giggled a little. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.” She raked her fingers through her hair, twisting the ends nervously.
“Well darlin’, I’m glad to hear it. And if I have my way, I’ll be the last man who makes you come ‘like that’ as you put it,” he smiled at her, turning into his driveway.
“Look at what you do to me, woman.” He moved her hand from his thigh onto the hard evidence of his arousal. “We’re never going to get anything done,” he sighed. “Seriously, as much as I’d like to take you inside and make love again, we need to get over to Sangre Dulce,” He groaned due to his uncomfortable state of arousal. “When we get home, I’ll call Sydney and see if she can bring over something suitable for you to wear to the club. I also think we should bring Étienne and Xavier for backup. I’m not expecting trouble, but after what happened the last time we were there…Let’s just say that I’m not risking anything happening to you.”
As Luca pulled his car up to his home and turned off the engine, Saman
tha jumped out. As he approached her, Samantha wrapped her hands around Luca’s waist, pressing her face into his chest and hugging him tightly.
“Thank you, Luca. Thank you for talking me into coming back here to get my life together. Thank you for helping me. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
“Well, I did threaten to enthrall you to get you home, so I guess that counts as talking you into it,” he joked, and kissed her head.
She playfully pushed his chest with the palm of her hand. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yes. Yes, you are. And I couldn’t be happier that you’re with me.” He gathered her into his arms for a brief embrace and then released her. If he started kissing her, they’d never get to the club. He was two seconds from tearing off her clothes as it was.
“Come on now. Let’s get dressed.” He lightly smacked her bottom as she quickly walked up to the porch. Adjusting himself, he fantasized about how delicious it would be to spank her pink while taking her from behind. He couldn’t seem to stop thinking of Samantha and all the delightfully naughty things he wanted to do to her.
Knowing they had work to do, Luca decided it was safer to stay upstairs rather than follow Samantha down to his bedroom. He could barely keep his hands off of her for two seconds. She was driving him mad. It wasn’t as if he could stay in a cold shower forever. He needed to get himself together, which was not going to be easy, considering they were about to go to a sex club. He sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he was going to remain uncomfortably hard for the next several hours. It was going to be a long night.
Samantha tugged at her short dress as they walked toward Sangre Dulce. Sydney had come over to Luca’s to help her get dressed. After vehemently refusing to wear a little, very little, see-through number, she’d settled on a royal blue spandex mini-dress with a draped skirt that was gathered at her waist by rhinestones. One-shouldered, it exposed her creamy, pale skin; her golden red hair was straightened and tied back in a ponytail. Samantha enjoyed the black patent leather platform heels she’d borrowed. They made her feel more confident and tall, despite only adding a few inches to her five foot three stature.
She knew that the club catered to both humans and supernaturals; that was partly what had enticed her to go there in the first place. They’d all thought it would be fun to maybe see someone being bitten or spanked. Samantha didn’t recall either. Still, with the knowledge that there could be vampires there, she nervously stroked her neck as if to protect it. Sydney had given her a silver chain in case of an emergency, which she kept stowed in her small clutch bag. She’d tried to get her to take a stake, but Samantha trusted Luca to keep her safe. She reasoned that not knowing exactly how to stake a vampire could be more dangerous for her, if she tried using the weapon without practice.
Luca put his arm around Samantha’s waist and possessively pulled her against him. He planned to make it clear from the minute he stepped out of the car that she was his. He could practically feel her smooth skin through the barely-there, stretchy material that was her dress. He’d nearly had a heart attack when she came out of the bedroom tonight. With her hair swept up, he admired the fine lines of her neck; how he’d love to pierce her and taste her honeyed blood again. The spandex dress showed off every last curve of her luscious body without revealing a hint of cleavage. Samantha was simply stunning.
As they walked through the door, the pounding techno beat blared. Samantha slowly practiced her deep breathing, trying not to let Luca notice. She had said she wanted to do this, and she was determined to see it through. Samantha put on a mask of coolness as she observed naked girls serving drinks to customers. Straining to observe over a sea of bodies, it appeared a Domme and her sub were gearing up to engage in a public scene. A tall, lithe woman, dressed head to toe in spandex, led a good looking, muscular man around the room on a leash and proceeded to cuff his wrists to a Saint Andrew’s cross.
Watching the preparation, Samantha lost her concentration on her deep breathing. Inexplicably drawn to what was happening to the sub, her heart began to race. Was this what she’d done? She couldn’t help but notice that the man didn’t struggle. He willingly followed his mistress and held his arms out to her, his jutting excitement conspicuously revealed to the audience. Samantha wasn’t quite sure whether she was aroused by the sight of the virile stranger or disgusted, knowing it could have been her, a memory better forgotten. Conflicted, she could not tear her eyes from the unfolding exhibition. A cry of delight roared through the room as the Domme alternated between stroking him mercilessly and cracking the flat end of a riding crop against his reddening bottom.
Luca put his hand on Samantha’s elbow, jarring her from anxiety. He could tell from the fascinated look on her face that she’d never seen anything like she’d just witnessed. On the one hand, he cursed Asgear for fucking with her memory. Yet it was probably best she didn’t remember whatever had happened in the club.
Studying her face, he could see she was mesmerized by the intense sexual display. He observed her warring emotions. Was she excited by it? Perhaps. But her eyes told him she was also uneasy, anxious. She was worrying about things she couldn’t remember nor control. He needed to get her refocused on their purpose, so they could get out of there.
Luca guided her around a semi-circular bar and signaled the bartender. They were addressed promptly; two bottles of water were placed on the bar. Samantha had made it clear that she wasn’t drinking anything that didn’t come in a sealed container. After what had happened last time, she wasn’t taking any chances. Luca nodded at her and pointed to a small area that had been cordoned off by ultra-modern chrome leaf screens. It was partially open to allow the wait staff to enter and leave, but had no door.
“Over there. I’ll stand right outside the entrance while you search the area. Are you ready to do this?” he asked.
“Born ready,” she feigned confidence.
“Okay, let’s do it quickly.”
Several nude waitresses were leaving the break area as they approached the opening. Samantha winked at Luca and entered. The room was the size of a small walk-in closet, and she guessed that no more than four people could fit in there at a time. One way to keep the waitresses working. Plastic orange chairs lined one wall with a mini-fridge and plastic cups on the other side. Folded purple towels and blankets were piled high in a corner. Quickly she rummaged through the linens and refrigerator, but couldn’t find anything.
Disappointed, she exited the room, and Luca caught the crook of her arm.
“Nothing, I found nothing,” she commented tersely.
“Come dance with me,” he whispered into her ear.
Nina Simone’s I Put a Spell on You began to play as Luca pulled her out onto the dance floor. She felt herself melt into his body as he put a hand to the small of her back and held his other hand to her throat, slowly brushing his fingers down the hollow of her neck. Without words, he pressed his lips to hers, tasting her, deepening the kiss as she reached her hands around his neck.
Within seconds, she’d lost control, digging her hands into his hair. Desire pooled below, as she began grinding against his hardness. She wanted to make love to him there, not caring who was watching.
Grudgingly, Luca began to withdraw. Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead down to hers. “Ah Samantha, I want you so much. But we can’t do this here. We’ve gotta go back to the room where Dominique was silvered. Check it out.” He was breathing hard, struggling to compose himself. A year ago, he’d have had no problem having sex in a club like Sangre Dulce. He wasn’t in the lifestyle but liked to play lightly every now and then. When a vampire had lived as long as he had, he or she was always looking for something on the edge to spice up life. But now was not the time to get carried away; he’d only brought her out to the floor to talk with her briefly before they went to the private rooms.
“Back there.” He nodded towards an entrance covered in red-beaded fringe. “We’ll walk back together. Hold my hand a
nd stay close. Sometimes people gather at the rooms to watch; we’ll just walk around them.”
“Any chance I can use the ladies’ room before we go? Somebody has me all hot and bothered,” she teased.
“Yes, come on, let’s go. I want to get home as soon as possible so I can finish what we’ve started on the dance floor.” It was more of a promise than a joke.
Léopold watched the mortal girl dance with Luca, cursing their pleasure. They were supposed to be finding him the Hematilly Periapt; instead, they were mauling each other like oversexed teenagers. He was sure Asgear had given it her, and she would lead him to it, even if he had to grab her by her long red hair and drag her through the streets of New Orleans himself.
Anger raced through his veins; he was incensed with their cavalier attitude. Obviously, she needed a reminder of her task. He’d thought the fire would have been enough to frighten her into this much-needed search. He required the amulet…now.
Luca spied Étienne and Xavier sitting at the bar, and casually nodded. He planned on introducing Samantha to them another time, letting them remain in the background. He watched as she took off down a long open hallway to the rest room. It was dimly lit with black lights and tea-light candles that sat in ceramic luminaires. As he turned back, Étienne and Xavier had crossed the room to meet him. He wanted to quickly brief them on the plan. They’d stay twenty feet behind them and watch for an ambush.
Samantha patted her face down with a paper towel and prided herself for holding it together. Not remembering a damn thing helped, she mused. But she didn’t regret spending time with Luca. She found herself wanting to stay in New Orleans with him. She wasn’t sure if he really meant it when he said that he didn’t want to let her go. The more time she spent with him, the more she said goodbye to her old life.
Exiting the ladies room, dark smoke filled the hallway. Before she had the opportunity to register the cause, she found herself shoved against the wall. A large hand covered her mouth, while the attacker’s body flattened against hers, effectively caging and immobilizing her. Unable to speak or move, her eyes widened at the stranger.
