Her arms hung at her sides, her hands balled into tight fists. Her knees felt a little lose and wobbly. These vampires sure did know how to tease a girl. She both appreciated that fact and hated it.
He raised his head and met her gaze. “You feel our hunger, don’t you?”
She nodded. There was a burning in her gut. It wasn’t so bad she couldn’t stand it but it was there. She expected it was a hundred times worse for them.
He grasped her chin and stared into her eyes. She knew what would happen if she looked deep into the darkness. As expected, her pussy spasmed. Her nipples hardened. Her breathing grew shallow. Her blood sizzled in her veins.
She wanted him. She wanted him now. Her Master.
She whimpered. A gush of hot juices seeped from her pussy. “Miko.”
“Come. I will take you to my dungeon.” He brushed his mouth over hers, the brief contact making her lightheaded. More. She wanted a lot more. He was a cruel Master. A cruel Master in the most delicious way.
He took her hand in his and led her out of the room, down the stairs and into a well-furnished bondage dungeon. As expected, the room was dimly lit. The walls were painted a deep red. The furnishings were all constructed of darkly-stained wood, polished to a rich gloss. Table. Kneeler. Swing. Various other pieces she couldn’t name. They were both beautiful and intimidating at the same time.
“Do you like to feel powerless, at your Master’s mercy?” he asked, looking at her as if he knew the answer already.
“Yes, Master.”
He nodded. “Undress.”
“Yes, Master.” Her hands trembling a little, she lifted the nightgown over her head and handed it to him. Then she stepped out of the matching panties.
Fire in his eyes, he led her to an apparatus that looked like an upright cross attached to the front end of a narrow bench. There were ropes secured to either side of the cross. “Sit.” He pointed at the bench. She sat with her back to the cross. “Now lean back.”
She did as he asked, sitting back until the upper part of her spine rested against the center post of the cross. He walked around the back, lowered the crossbar, lifted her arms and tied her hands up over her head. The position made her breasts stand out. She felt sexy and powerless.
“Look at my sweet little Origo.” He gave her a wicked smile. “You’re wet.” He secured two more ropes to the crossbar then stepped to one side and lifted one of her legs.
“Yes, Master.”
He tied her leg up and out, one rope just above her knee, another at her ankle. Then he did the same thing with her other leg.
She was as open and exposed as she could be. She was hot. Trembling. Anxious to see what he’d do next. Her nerves were all on edge. Her muscles tight. Waves of hot wanting coursing through her body.
“Would you like me to fuck you, my pet?” In a blink, his clothes vanished. Everything.
His body was glorious. Perfectly proportioned. Thickly muscled.
“Yes. Please, Master. Fuck me.”
He moved to the end of the bench and straddled it. “I don’t believe you’re ready yet.” Moistening two of his fingers with his mouth, he sat. The head of his cock was inches from her pussy. Inches. Yet he was clearly not going to fuck her. Not yet.
She wanted to plead. She moaned instead.
He ran his damp fingers over her vulva, spreading her juices and his saliva up over her clit. “I never take a woman before she’s ready.”
How much readier could a girl be?
Her face flamed when he thumbed her clit. Her eyelids felt like there were lead weights tied to them. She let them fall closed and let the sensations he was stirring in her carry her away to a dark, secret place. A place where she could let herself go and just feel, explore, be.
Sliding two fingers into her pussy while continuing to stroke her clit, he murmured, “Just before a woman comes, there’s this scent she gives off. It’s the most wonderful fragrance. It drives me crazy.”
His intimate strokes were driving her crazy. The way his fingers curled slightly so that his knuckles rubbed that very special place inside her. The way his strokes to her clit sent rhythmic pulses of heat through her body. The way his words stirred her wanting to even greater heights. “Oh God,” she said on a sigh.
If he kept this up, she’d come within moments and it would be over. She didn’t want that. Not yet. Not really. She wanted it to last and last. Even though her body was careening toward a quick and powerful release.
“Stop. Please,” she begged. She wouldn’t come without him inside her.
“Yes,” he said, plunging his fingers into her one last time. “You’re ready now.”
She felt his fingertips digging into her hips as he lifted them. The large head of his cock prodded at her opening. In one swift thrust, he buried his thick cock inside her hot pussy. She moaned her gratitude and wrapped her fingers around the ropes securing her wrists.
Tightening her inner muscles to increase both their pleasures, she rocked her hips to meet each of his thrusts. He drove into her slowly, deliberately. He nearly pulled completely out before driving deep inside again. It was the most delicious fuck. Beyond words or thoughts.
Releasing her hips, he teased one of her breasts with one hand and stroked her already burning clit with the other.
This was more than a fuck. It was a complete joining. A fusing of minds and bodies and souls. For a split second, as her body trembled at the brink of completion, she felt his presence within her. He was there. Filling her. Claiming her. Putting his mark on her soul.
She belonged to Miko and Burke.
Orgasm came in a flash. It quaked every muscle in her body. She heard herself cry out but didn’t feel herself speak. She heard him too, as he joined her in ecstasy.
He drove into her hard, pounding in and out of her spasming pussy. She tossed her head from side to side and rode the waves of bliss, wishing they’d never end.
But eventually, the pulses slowed. The sensations faded. He pulled out, untied her and held her gently in his arms.
She smiled against his chest and kissed his slick, smooth skin.
The man was a virtual stranger and yet she felt so special and treasured and secure. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to the feelings the two men stirred.
“Come now. It’s time for us to decide what we should do about Burke.” He helped her to her feet.
Chapter Ten
“What do you mean?” She twisted her body at the waist to look back over her shoulder.
“I want to see that you’re comfortable first. Then we’ll talk.” He motioned for her to keep walking, upstairs, down the hall, back to her bedroom. “As much as I delight in the sight of you like this, I want you to be wearing something warmer. It’s chilly. I don’t want you to catch cold.” While she stood staring at his back, wondering at exactly how he’d become such a thoughtful man, he searched her closet for what he considered appropriate clothing. He emerged smiling, a pair of knit jogging pants, a tank top and a matching jacket in his fists. “These will do.” He handed them to her then settled in the huge cushy chair in the room’s corner. With a sweep of his hands, he was magically dressed, wearing a snug T-shirt and a pair of black pants. He rested his elbows on the chair’s arms and steepled his fingers under his chin.
She was acutely aware of his gaze on her as she dressed, even though she sensed his mind was somewhere far away. Yes, they’d just had the most mind-blowing sex a few minutes ago, and she was ready to go another round.
These vampires were turning her into a sex fiend and she was oh so grateful.
Once she had located some fresh panties and a bra, she donned her clothes and accepted his invitation to join him in the chair. It was nice sitting on his lap, being held so protectively. His arms were strong and sure. His touch soft and firm at the same time. He pulled her against him, until her side pressed up against his scrumptious chest. Her head decided it needed a shoulder to rest on.
She let loose with a
genuine sigh of contentment.
“I’m facing a difficult situation here. I have to choose. Between my career and my sanity.” Miko’s voice was thick and heavy. It rumbled through her body like a low voltage electric current.
She didn’t want to seem flip, but she knew which choice she’d make. In a heartbeat. Then again, she’d never had her dream career, the one she’d always thought she would have when she grew up. What kind of choice would she make if she had?
She tipped her head to study Miko’s profile. He had a strong forehead and chin. A long, narrow aristocratic nose and a perfect mouth. He was a delight to look at.
“I’ve wanted to be an officer of the Excoluni for as long as I can remember. My father retired from the force years ago but I remember being a kid, having a father I was so damn proud of. He was the best.” He breathed in for the first time since she’d sat on his lap. His chest rose then fell when the air left his lungs in a huff. He shook his head. “I can kiss my career goodbye if I help Langton.”
“But what if he didn’t do it?” she whispered, sensing the frustration and turmoil Miko was struggling with.
His gaze met hers. It was probing. Intense. “You’re saying he’s innocent so I’ll help him.”
“No, I’m saying it because I believe it’s the truth.”
His eyebrows dropped to their lowest point. “You don’t know the details of the case --”
“True, but you have to admit I share a very unique and personal bond with the man. I would know if he was the killer. I’m sure I would. He didn’t kill those people. The man in my bar, in Carpe Nocturne. He didn’t kill the others either. I believe what he said, that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.” When Miko didn’t respond, she added, “He’s trying to find the real killer so he can clear his name.”
Miko shifted his gaze away from her again and nodded slowly. He pressed an index finger to his lower lip. “What has he found out?”
She couldn’t help staring at his mouth as she answered, “Not much of anything that I’m aware of. The only connection he saw between the people was the setting -- the bars. Outside of that, he couldn’t find anything tying the victims together.” She hesitated. Should she tell him more? Would it put Burke at risk? Or help Miko see Burke didn’t know the victims? She had to take the chance. “That’s why he’d been spending nights in bars. He was hoping to be at the right place at the right time.”
Again, Miko’s eyebrows dropped. His tongue slipped between his lips and left a dab of moisture on them before disappearing back inside his mouth again. He caught his lower lip with his teeth. “He hasn’t told you everything. He hasn’t told you that all the victims share a connection to him, a vague one, perhaps. But a connection.”
Whatever she was about to say flew from her head like a caged bird let loose. No, Burke wouldn’t have kept something that important from her. “Uh… what kind of connection?”
Miko gently lifted her off his lap and stood. He turned, gripped her shoulders in his fists and stared down into her eyes for what felt like an eternity. The silence was heavy. She dropped her gaze but he caught her chin in his hand and lifted it until she looked at his face again.
“I commend your loyalty. It’s unfortunate that your Master has put you in this position. This isn’t the way it should be.” His eyes softened as they swept over her face.
Despite the fact that his warm expression was doing all kinds of pleasant things to her insides, she sharpened her gaze. “I believe Burke,” she said crisply. “I believe in his innocence.” She needed to convince Miko. She needed him on their team.
“The first victim was the nephew of a gentleman Langton was in negotiations with,” he barked. When she stumbled backward out of reflex, he caught her wrists and held them until she steadied herself. In a lower voice he said, “I apologize.” He shook his head. “Dammit, I want him to be innocent as much as you do. But it’s hard to ignore the evidence.”
“What evidence? So, the first victim was related to some guy Burke was doing business with? What does that prove?”
“The deal fell through and a few nights later, the man’s nephew was found slaughtered. What would you think if you were investigating the case?”
“And you assumed Burke did it? For what reason? Revenge?”
He crossed his thick arms over his broad chest. The position made him look big and strong and a little intimidating. Rigid and determined.
How would she ever change his mind?
“That deal would’ve made him billions of dollars. I’ve seen people kill for less.”
“I can’t believe Burke would kill out of revenge. Or for money. What about the other victims? How many have there been? The others can’t be close relatives of business associates too.”
“There have been four murders so far. The second one was also related to an individual Burke had had business dealings with, a cousin.”
Did Burke know this? Had he kept the facts from her? Shit. She was starting to feel like she was losing ground, not gaining it. She mentally scrambled for a foothold. “But didn’t Burke live in Europe somewhere? And weren’t the murders here in the United States?”
“They’ve all been here, in the Detroit area, yes. Then again, so was Burke. The coincidences are compelling.”
“And all of the victims were related to someone Burke has done business with? What about the third one?” she asked with a sinking feeling. She didn’t want to doubt Burke’s innocence, but the coincidences were stacking up. The mountain they created was a smidge condemning.
“Yes, all three were related to someone Burke has had difficulties doing business with. We’re still working on the connection with the fourth victim, but I’m sure we’ll find something.”
She nodded, appreciating why the Excoluni had narrowed their focus to only Burke. The victims hadn’t been chosen randomly. They were loosely linked to Burke through business associates, which meant the real killer had to know more than a little about his business activities. That had to narrow the field to a few people, in addition to Burke himself. “How many other people would know about Burke’s business dealings?”
“Not many. He keeps his personal and professional business to himself. I’m sure you’ve noticed that about him already. To my knowledge, he’s never employed a large staff.”
One person sprang to mind, a person who was close enough to know details about his activities. And one who had confessed to being blamed for the murders. It was hard picturing Isabella as the kind of individual who’d gouge out an innocent man’s eyes, but she supposed it was possible. “What about his friend Isabella?”
“We’ve thought of her, but there’s no obvious motive, and without some kind of evidence linking her to the crimes, we have no reason to suspect her. Unlike Langton, she wasn’t in town at the time of the first murder. She has a solid alibi.”
“Then she isn’t wanted by the police?”
“Not for murder. Only for aiding and abetting.”
Obviously, proving Burke’s innocence wasn’t going to be easy. “Did he have any enemies? People he owes money to? People who felt they’d been screwed in business? People who were jealous?” She had an equally hard time picturing Burke being anything but fair in business transactions, but she’d long ago accepted that people sometimes saw things in very twisted ways. Perhaps someone felt they’d been cheated and decided to seek revenge on Burke?
“He has no enemies, at least none that we’ve been able to identify.”
She slumped into the chair, rested her elbows on her knees and dropped her chin onto her fists. “But doesn’t it seem too obvious for an intelligent guy like Burke to risk killing relatives of his business associates? Wouldn’t he know that sooner or later the connection would be discovered?”
“In a way, yes. Then again, the victims weren’t sons or daughters. They were nephews and nieces. Cousins. More distantly related. We felt he chose those individuals for that reason, to put some distance between himself and the vic
tims.”
She looked Miko in the eyes. She wasn’t going to change his mind. “You’re convinced he’s guilty.”
He studied her for a moment. His gaze was warm and yet intense and assessing at the same time. “I have to accept the facts.”
“Where does that leave us?”
He sighed. “At an impasse, I’m afraid.”
“Then what’s the point of this conversation?”
“I wanted the chance to explain why I have to find Burke… and why I have to turn him in.”
* * *
In all his many centuries of life, Miko had never been in a more frustrating position. Why did he, a sworn officer of the Excoluni, have to end up in a Triumvirate with Burke Langton, a convicted killer? If it hadn’t been so physically painful, it would’ve been funny. He’d always been able to appreciate irony.
Not in this case.
The disappointment and frustration he’d seen in Sylvie’s eyes only amplified his agony. Like his mate, he ached for their circle to be complete. They would never perform the Binding. They would never be whole.
Worse yet, the guilt of keeping one very significant piece of information from Sylvie was sitting heavy on his shoulders.
He had to tell his brother about Sylvie, and about her second Master. Because he was an officer first, he had to take himself off the case. He could not fulfill his obligations. And he would take Sylvie with him, back home. Putting as much physical distance between them and Langton was the only chance they had of easing the burn of their wanting.
He discussed his plans with the security guard he kept on staff before leaving to meet his brother. He gave the guard a thorough description of Langton, cautioning him that there was a good chance Langton might try to sneak onto the property to see Sylvie. Then, only minutes after nightfall, he drove off to meet his brother at a nearby professional park, where they’d set up a temporary headquarters in an empty warehouse.
Hadrian scooped up a stack of papers, stuffed them in a dusty old book and greeted him with a wave of a hand, motioning toward the chair on the other side of his rusted metal desk. As he dropped the book into a desk drawer, he held a phone cradled between his shoulder and head. Miko could hear the tone of the caller’s voice as he sat, but couldn’t make out exactly what the caller was saying. It was the Director of Excoluni Operations.
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