Passion Follows Pain (Passion Series Book 3)

by Melville, J. A

  Again, she cried out and he felt her clench around him, her muscles squeezing him, milking him, her body gripped by violent shudders as she came apart again. As he drank from her, feeding and fucking her, he vaguely heard a noise, but he was so consumed by his mounting excitement that the sound barely registered with him over the frantic beat of Arissa’s heart. He was in a frenzy, loving her sweet blood, the taste and smell of her and driven by a desperate need to come.

  When he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, he faltered briefly but he was too close to coming to stop now. Turning his head, he saw his sire watching them but he couldn’t even tell him to leave because his release was upon him. With a low guttural cry, he came, his head falling back, blood dripping from his fangs. Over and over he pumped his release into her, his hips jerking through every intense moment.

  Arissa started to crumble under him, her breathing ragged sounding and Lucian grabbed her, easing her down onto the bed, using his body to shield her from Fabian’s gaze. He held her with one hand while reaching for the sheet, and once he’d pulled it over them, he slipped free of her body and flopped down on his back, ready to confront his sire.

  “What the fuck are you doing here? What is it with everyone in this house lately? It’s like god damned fucking Grand Central Station. Do you think just once I could make love to my girl without everyone treating it like a damn spectator sport?” He spat out angrily.

  He felt Arissa tense beside him before gingerly rolling over, tugging the sheet up until not much more than her eyes peered out at Fabian. She blushed, her face bright red at being caught out again. Dammit, she’d never come to the house if she had to contend with everyone walking in on them all the time. She was taking it very well considering, but he was going to have to put a fucking lock on the door to keep them all out at this rate.

  “I did knock son but no one answered so I chose to let myself in. You were obviously otherwise occupied so I chose to wait.” A flash of amusement crossed his face. “I thought Arissa might be ready to go over to see the old lady now, and I will lift the mind control. Before we go though, we need to do some preparation. Your injuries from your father have all healed, but you can’t be seen dressed in just Lucian’s shirt. You will need to take the time to dress once back over the road, before I lift the mind control. Mrs Appleby won’t have any concept of time, but we shall make it seem that we have come to invite you to our home for dinner. I will bring Sirene with us to help ease the old woman’s mind.” He said, his focus on Arissa, and Lucian hated the way his sire pinned her with his pale eyes. He knew she was nervous by the faint tremor going through body; clearly she found Fabian intimidating.

  “Well, do you think you could leave us now so we can freshen up and then we’ll meet you out in the living room?” He asked, glaring at the older vampire.

  Fabian nodded his head, backing up. “Of course my son; you have half an hour, do not be late. Sirene and I need to feed. Not all of us are lucky enough to have a blood source at our convenience.” He said and left the room.

  “I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what’s going on with everyone lately walking in on us. Ok, that was our own fault last night with Adrian since we were in the living room, but this thing where everyone is coming and going from my room? I will have to put a lock on the damn door.”

  Arissa laughed in response which surprised him. “I can’t say I enjoy our sex life suddenly becoming so public, but it is a little funny, you have to admit. If they don’t stop walking in on us, we might have to consider charging admission.”

  He chuckled at her words. “Come baby, do you want to have a shower before we go and see your employer?”

  She nodded then squealed when he threw the sheet back off her and dragged her out of the bed. Before she could react, he picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder and carried her to the bathroom.

  Arissa

  Lucian and I walked into the living room twenty eight minutes later, just scraping it in on Fabian’s allocated half an hour. Lucky we weren’t late or someone probably would have been sent to get us and we’d have been caught, and definitely in trouble.

  I smiled to myself, a secretive smile when I thought of the orgasm Lucian had given me in the shower, under the warm spray. I’d stood with my back to him, bent over as he’d fucked me hard until I’d screamed his name, hearing it echo around the bathroom. I still couldn’t believe how much I’d come to enjoy sex but only with this man. No other man interested me. No other man was capable of stirring any emotion in me other than fear or uncertainty. If I hadn’t met Lucian, I’d still be terrified Arissa, hiding from the world, or more than likely, still being beaten and raped, or perhaps worse, dead.

  No, I had a lot to thank him for, and I was thankful for meeting him and grateful that he never gave up on me, despite patience not exactly being something vampires were famous for. Through him, I’d also met a group of unlikely allies, my vampire friends who had proved they would do anything to help me, when necessary, because they cared for one another, and as Lucian’s girl, they now cared for me.

  I loved him, an emotion I never expected to feel for anyone, let alone a man and amazingly, he loved me too. I worried about it but at the same time, I had to trust my feelings for him. I looked over at him and couldn’t imagine not being a part of his life. I felt safe with him, something I’d never felt most of my life and it was a nice feeling to finally be able to relax. Of course I still couldn’t believe that someone as beautiful as him wanted me. I was damaged, scarred from my father and yet this beautiful, stunning, sexy as sin man wanted me.

  Lucian pulled me down onto the lounge by his side and we both turned to Fabian who was seated opposite us; Sirene by his side, tucked into him, with her head on his chest. I studied her for a moment and wondered how she’d done it, how she’d managed to control someone like him. She was tiny in comparison to him but it was obvious to anyone who looked at them that he adored her.

  “So little one, before we head over the road, I need to know whether you still wish to be made vampire?”

  “I do, very much Fabian. It is not some whim or something that I haven’t thought about. Lucian and I have discussed it. Will you consider it?”

  “Tell me what your motivation for being turned is? Is it to punish your father in some way or do your motives run deeper?” He asked.

  I frowned at his questions. Did he think I wanted to be vampire to face my father? I’d kicked the man in the balls while human; I think I could hurt him without needing to be a vampire to do it. I’d thought about what it would mean to be turned but I wanted to be with Lucian.

  “It’s got nothing to do with my father. I can’t deny that it might be fun to use some vampire strength on him but I got a great deal of satisfaction out of kicking him and I did that as human. No, I want to be vampire so I can be with Lucian.” I took his hand in mine and squeezed it. “I love him. He’s done so much for me. He gave me life.” My voice faded to nothing more than a whisper as I met Fabian’s strange pale eyes. “Please, I want this, we both do.”

  “How do you feel about this son? You know there is no law that binds one vampire to another. If Arissa is changed, the assumption will be that you two will have an eternal life together, just as Dominick has with Allegra, and I do with Sirene.” He dropped his head to kiss the head of the tiny woman by his side. She smiled up at him and he took her lips with his in a brief kiss. “You two have known each other for almost two months now. If this is done, if the change is made, are you two strong enough to do eternity together? I have no time for an ugly mess afterwards if it doesn’t work. You have to understand that before you, my son was more an advocate for the relationship that involved a good time, not a long time. He was only marginally better than my other son Damien is with women. Anyway, I need you to think about this before I give you an answer.” He stood, pulling Sirene up with him. “Now how about we get you over the road and you can take care of Mrs Appleby? We will discuss this more later.”<
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  I felt strangely nervous when I unlocked Daisy’s door and swung it open wide to let Lucian, Fabian and Sirene in with me. I had to invite Sirene in and once they were standing in the hallway, I ducked off to my room so I could pull on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

  Lucian left me to get dressed in peace and followed the others down the hallway to the living room where Fabian had left Daisy when he mind controlled her just a couple of days ago. God so much had happened in that time.

  I’d just pulled a comb through my hair and slipped into a pair of canvas shoes when Lucian appeared in the doorway to my room. One look into his eyes and I knew something was wrong, seriously wrong.

  His expression was grim, tinged with a little something I couldn’t quite interpret.

  “What’s wrong?” My heart started to pound.

  “You’d better come with me baby. It’s Mrs Appleby. God I’m sorry but something’s happened.”

  I felt my stomach begin to knot with fear. ‘No, no, no.’ The mantra began to play over in my head. She had to be alright, she just had to.

  “What’s wrong? Is Daisy ok, answer me Lucian.” I said, my voice rising.

  “Come with me baby. I’m sorry but it’s not good. I’m so sorry.” He tried to take my hand but I shook him off.

  With my heart thumping in my chest I followed him down the hallway to the living room where I saw Fabian and Sirene bent over the lounge. I could see Daisy’s leg with the plaster on it. As I approached, starting to shake because I was torn between needing to know, but not wanting to face it, the others parted and I got my first look at my employer. She was lying slumped partially to one side, her eyes open, her mouth slack. She looked almost like she’d been startled but her eyes were fixed, staring straight ahead. It was everything I’d feared, Daisy was dead.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Arissa

  I was in shock. Well, I think I was in shock. I had to be because I couldn’t seem to move or react or do anything at all, but stare into Daisy’s blank eyes. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be dead.

  “Baby?” Lucian’s hand rested on my shoulder and I spun around, shrugging him off.

  “Don’t touch me!” I spat at him, suddenly feeling mad, a burning rage building in me. I was angry, angry and upset, devastated and heartbroken. I needed someone to blame for this, whether it was rational or not, someone had to pay.

  I glared at Lucian, my hands balled into fists by my side, anger towards him radiating off me. He stared down at me with those warm brown eyes of his, that looked so concerned right now, but I didn’t care. He was to blame for this, him and the others. All of them were responsible for Daisy’s death.

  Unable to control the flood of emotions surging through me, I turned on Fabian, my anger bubbling over, and with a sobbing cry I reached out, slapping him hard across the face. “You, you did this; you did this with your mind control. You killed her.” I screamed at him and he growled, his eyes flashing with his own rage. His fangs descended and for a brief moment I thought he was going to attack me.

  “Never, never make the mistake of touching me like that again little one. If you want to be made vampire, you need to learn control, and you need to learn respect. You do not lay a hand on me like that again, do you understand?”

  I felt a shiver of fear at his quietly veiled threat but then his words registered with me. “I don’t want to be vampire anymore, I don’t want any part of something that does this to someone, and I don’t want anything to do with you. Get out now, leave me alone.” I turned on them all. “Just fuck off.”

  I watched their faces change at my words, but it was Lucian’s expression which was the hardest to look at. He looked gutted, his eyes filled with pain. “Baby, you’re hurting I get that, but don’t do this. Don’t blame us for this. She was an old woman and maybe there was something wrong with her, her heart perhaps? Please, let us help you. I love you. You’re alone now; I want to take care of you.”

  I stared into his face feeling disconnected, switched off, I felt dead inside and numb, completely numb. I’d made it through so much; I’d lived with my father’s abuse for most of my life, but this with Daisy just seemed to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. I couldn’t cope with anything more. I couldn’t face more heartache and devastation.

  “I...don’t...want…you.” I said the words out of my mouth before I could stop them. Right now, I was hurting and I wanted him to hurt too. “The best thing you can do for me is to get the hell out of my life.” I began to pace around the room, my mind racing. What did I do now? I had to do something, ring for a doctor or the hospital? God, what did a person do when someone died? I had to do something but I needed these vampires out of the house first. They were distracting me and I needed them gone so I could think properly.

  “Baby, please, don’t do this. Let me help you. You’re going to need help.” Lucian said a note of what sounded like desperation in his voice.

  “Son, come, we must leave. There’s no point pursuing this right now. I said NOW.” His tone was harder when Lucian looked like he was about to argue.

  I watched as they all left the room, Sirene taking Lucian’s arm and dragging him along with them. Once I heard the front door close, I collapsed down by Daisy’s side, taking one of her icy cold hands in mine and I sobbed, big gut wrenching sobs.

  As I cried, I thought about what had happened, my father, Lucian, Daisy’s death and I knew; down deep inside I knew it wasn’t Lucian’s fault or Fabian’s. This was all largely my fault. If I’d never run away from my father then he wouldn’t have come after me and Debbie wouldn’t be lying in a hospital. If I had given it more thought before I rushed to answer the door that night, then he’d never have been able to take me. If I hadn’t let Lucian and the other vampires into my life, then they would never have come after me. They’d never have mind controlled Daisy to stop her calling the police or anything else she may have done to find me. If I hadn’t let myself get so caught up in my relationship with Lucian, I’d have been back here and I’d have been here to help her. I might have been here in time for her, in time to save her. She might not have died alone. No, if anyone was to blame for all that had happened, it was me. Father had always told me that if I was bad, if I got close to a man, if I let him touch me, that I would be punished. He was right. I was being punished now. I’d lost everything and everyone that was important to me. I deserved nothing but the heartache and pain I was feeling now.

  The next few days passed in a daze. There wasn’t time to think about anything but Daisy’s death, the coroner coming, watching my poor employer’s body laid out on a stretcher and zipped into a bag before being carried from her home. I felt infinitely sad for her that she’d not only died alone, but there was no one to come to her, no family who loved her and cared for her.

  She’d only had me and in the end, I hadn’t been there for her. She’d passed away alone. My heart ached for her, a real physical pain in my chest. She’d been so good to me, she’d been like a mother to me and I felt so guilty, I’d let her down.

  Even her little dog Milo acted like he blamed me and he wouldn’t come to me for anything other than food. Perhaps it was the couple of days without food that made him resent me, I didn’t know, but right when I needed someone to give me some comfort, I didn’t even have him.

  Lucian had dropped by a couple of times but I refused to answer the door. I just wasn’t ready to deal with him, although I knew I’d have to sooner or later, since they still had my father in the dungeon assuming they hadn’t already killed him. I personally didn’t care what they did with him or how they killed him.

  I knew I was going to have to find somewhere to stay soon as Daisy’s home wasn’t mine and a part of me considered leave Tasmania and going back to the mainland. I wanted to see Debbie, to see what my father had done to her. She was another example of what happened to anyone who knew me. Because I’d run from my father Debbie was seriously injured and according to the st
aff at the hospital when I’d rung, she was in a coma still. They wouldn’t tell me any more than that since I wasn’t family but I wanted to see her. I had to apologise to her for what she’d suffered through because of me. It was clear that anyone associated with me ended up suffering because of it.

  When Daisy’s funeral took place with no one there but me, I cried what felt like an ocean of tears. After her coffin had been lowered into the ground and I stood there staring down at where she now lay, I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck, it felt like someone was watching me. It was only when I scanned the cemetery looking to see if anyone was nearby that I finally noticed a man standing in the shade of a large oak tree. He was watching me intently and although he wasn’t close, I knew it was Lucian. My heart ached when I saw him but I didn’t go to him, I had no intention of having anything more to do with him. I couldn’t. Too many people got hurt because of me. They got hurt when my father was involved and now one was in hospital fighting for her life and the other one had died. I had dared to relax, start to live life and I had been punished for it.

  A couple of days later I was contacted by a solicitor who had handled Daisy’s estate and I was at first completely shell shocked and then burst into tears when I was informed she had left her estate to me. I could do little more than sit in the solicitor’s office staring at him.

  “Why? Why would she do that? I wasn’t family, I worked for her and it was only temporary anyway until her leg had healed.”

  “Mrs Appleby thought very highly of you and considered you like a daughter. She told me she felt close to you, that she wanted to take care of you, since you had obviously experienced great sadness in your life. I wouldn’t feel bad about her decision. I’m sure she would have been delighted to finally have someone she could leave her estate to.” The solicitor explained, but I still felt like a fraud.