Clearly, he wasn’t happy with their lack of progress in Langton’s case.
“Yes, sir,” Hadrian said at last, meeting Miko’s gaze. “We have a solid lead on Langton and I’m hoping to have him in custody tonight.” After listening to a few more minutes of barking, Hadrian replaced the phone in the cradle. His shoulders dropped several inches. “We have to nail him tonight. Vrabec is about ready to haul both our asses back home and demote us.”
“I know how to get Langton, although I don’t know where he is.”
Hadrian’s left eyebrow rose. “What do you have?” He leaned back in his rickety metal chair, a piece of garbage they’d picked up for a song from a thrift store nearby. It creaked as his weight shifted.
“I have his Origo.”
Hadrian’s right eyebrow joined his left at the top of his forehead. “Is that so? Who is she?”
“The bar owner from Carpe Nocturne. Remember the blonde?”
“The one who’s your…? Wait a minute!” Hadrian shot forward. “You’re the second Master in his Triumvirate? Langton’s? That woman was his --”
“Origo. Yes.”
“And yours?” he asked. His gaze dropped to the desk drawer for a split second before rising again.
Miko nodded. “Yes, she’s my Origo. Which is why I’m here today. I am asking officially to be reassigned. I cannot in good conscience complete my assigned task in this case.”
“Have you… completed the Iugum?”
“No, of course not. That would require Langton to be with us. I haven’t seen him. Sylvie was abandoned when I found her.”
“I see. Then, no. I cannot grant your request. You heard Vrabec. There isn’t time to get another officer here. You’ll have to stay and finish the job.”
Miko shook his head. “You’re making a mistake by keeping me here. I can’t say what’ll happen if Langton and I end up in the same room together, especially if Sylvie’s with us.”
“Then you’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen. Where’s the woman now?”
“At my house.”
“Good. We’ll use her as bait to get that snake Langton to crawl out from whatever hole he’s hiding in.”
“How? He knows I won’t hurt her.”
“He knows you’re her second Master?”
“Yes.”
“Then she’ll need to be moved. So that he won’t be able to count on your protection.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tapped on his lower lip with an index finger. He’d always done that when he was thinking, even as a kid.
Miko knew the instant his brother had a plan in place.
Hadrian smiled. “I know exactly what we’re going to do.”
Chapter Eleven
Sylvie hadn’t gotten completely over her frustration with Miko by the next evening. He’d taken her to some empty apartment on the other side of town and left her there, with a single suitcase of clothes. He left her alone for a full twenty-four hours. With nothing but a few frozen Lean Cuisines in the freezer, a few bottles of her favorite cola, a half-gallon of Moose Tracks… and four blank white walls.
Twenty-four hours was a long time to stew and worry and think. To fume and rant about men and their controlling ways. To work herself up to a healthy rage about their inability to see what was most important in life.
Not to mention to try every window and door in the place to see if she could get out.
No such luck. He’d locked her up like an animal! Grrr!
Although she did have to admit after about twelve hours, she’d simmered down. The urge to pound some sense into the vampire had eased… somewhat. For one thing, it simply took too much out of her to remain pissed off that long. And second, she understood the position Miko was in. He had to do what he had to do and clearly his personal situations had to take a backseat to his professional obligations. While she didn’t appreciate being locked up, he’d sort of explained the reason for it. She was in danger, and he didn’t want her going to Carpe Nocturne. She guessed he was afraid of coming to check on her too often, in case the killer was following him.
Okay, so if they thought Burke was the killer, why, oh why did everyone think he was after her? Clearly they knew something she did not.
Knowing Miko couldn’t come to her during the daylight hours, she’d forced herself to sleep then. When she awoke at dusk, she showered and put on fresh clothes. She nuked a frozen dinner and ate it. Wiped out the rest of the ice cream. Then, she returned to her spot in the one and only piece of furniture in the place, an old recliner sitting next to the living room window, and sat. She stared out the window, watching the cars roll by, wishing someone would come to see her. About a half hour into her second staring-out-the-window session of the night, she perked up when she saw what looked like Miko’s car drive by.
A few minutes later, the doorknob rattled and she heard the jingle of keys outside.
She stood up and faced the door, not sure if she should give Miko a friendly smile or a mean-eyed glower. As the door swung open, she went for a calm and sedate semi-smile.
He nudged the door open with a knee and picked up the grocery bags he’d evidently set on the floor in order to free his hands to unlock the door. “Sylvie, I’m very sorry it’s taking so long.” He kicked the door shut behind him and carried the bags to the kitchen. “I brought a peace offering. You don’t deserve to be locked up like this,” he added as he started unloading the groceries from the bags. More frozen dinners. Some fruit. Some snacks.
She snatched up a bag of corn chips and ripped it open, popping a cheese flavored chip into her mouth. “If that’s the way you feel, then why can’t you let me go?” she asked as she chewed. “I’m not a two year old. I can take care of myself.”
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with.” He shook his head then turned to put a fresh half gallon of ice cream in the freezer.
She had to smile at his back for having thought to bring more of her favorite dessert, even if it wasn’t going to do her thighs any good. She stuffed her hand back into the chip bag and pulled out another chip.
“It shouldn’t be much longer,” he added as he shut the freezer door. “I’m hoping we’ll catch Langton tonight.”
“But what makes you think he can hurt me? Frankly, I don’t believe it’s possible. If he’s the killer, I don’t think I’m the next victim.”
“I can’t talk about this. I’ve told you everything I can right now.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. Ooh, this was making her mad. She had a nightclub to run! She had bills to pay! And she was sick and tired of being a pawn in someone else’s game. “Which is nothing,” she spat. “I’m weary of this. I need to open my club, before I lose it to the bank.”
Miko set the packages of food he was holding on the counter and reached for her. She lunged backward, scrambling to get away before he caught her. The vampire vibe would render her brainless within a second if he touched her. As it was, with him standing so close, it was getting harder and harder to keep her wits about her.
It was so not fair that those two vampires gave off some energy or hormone or whatever that made her dumb and horny in no time flat. Even as she was trying get away from him, she was thinking about how she’d get him out of his clothes.
She was a slave to her hormones.
She had a new appreciation of what male humans dealt with, especially teenage males. She’d heard more than one man say he thought about sex constantly when he was a teenager. Now she was in the same boat, particularly when she was in the same room with Miko or Burke. The minute they were near, her mind dropped from important stuff and settled into the Lust Zone.
Was there a cure?
Miko’s lowered eyebrows and thinned mouth said everything his words didn’t. “Sylvie. Come here.”
She knew she was acting like a crazy woman, staggering away from Miko the way she was. But she needed space. The urges inside her were becoming overwhelming already. Whether it was the firm tone of his voice,
or the way his eyes twinkled when he looked at her, or the fact that she’d been away from him for over twenty-four hours, she couldn’t say. All she knew was she wanted him. In a bad way. Her anger at him for locking her up like a naughty kid was all but forgotten.
It shouldn’t be that easy! She’d wanted him to suffer for it.
She met his gaze and her will crumbled like warm feta cheese. “Yes, Master.”
He ran his hands down her arms then held her hands in his. His thumbs tickled the backs of her hands. His gaze caught hers and held it captive. “Not that I feel I should explain this to you, but I want you to know I’m acting in your best interest. I will not allow you to walk into a dangerous situation blindly. I can’t take that kind of risk. It is true, as your Master, Langton would not harm you. However, I still have reason to believe you could be in danger.”
She heard the conviction in his voice, saw the concern in his eyes, and had to accept he was genuinely worried. It had been a long, long time since anyone had cared so much about what happened to her.
Why did the movies portray vampires as terrible beings with no hearts, no souls? Clearly both men had hearts if they were that caring. She’d seen human males show less concern for their wives and girlfriends, now that she thought about it.
“I want you to understand how grave this situation is,” he said, still holding her hands. “You may not even be safe here, which is why we have several undercover officers watching the apartment around the clock. I will not let anything happen to you. But you should still do your part. You must stay alert. And stay away from the window. I don’t want anyone to see you.” He released her hands. His shoulder brushed hers as he walked past her toward the window. He pulled the shades closed then turned to face her again. “I promise this will all be over soon and you’ll be free to go wherever you wish.”
She stared into his eyes for a while then dropped her gaze to her hands, which were clasped together in front of her. There were so many questions buzzing around in her head, like a swarm of houseflies. But one question stuck out from the others. It demanded an answer. “I need to know… exactly what happens to us if Burke is executed? Because of this strange bond, I’m afraid…” She let the rest of her words trail off. How to put into words the terror she felt at even the thought of losing Burke forever? Her eyes started burning and she blinked to ease the sting.
Miko sighed, took two long strides to reach her then pulled her into a tight embrace. One of his arms circled her back while his other hand stroked her hair. She wrapped her arms around his waist and practically melted into him. He smelled so good, like fresh spring air. He was warm and strong, his voice soothing. The total effect was heating her insides to a pleasant simmer.
She tipped her head up to look at his face. He was gazing down at her. His mouth pulled into a gentle smile when their eyes met. Her breath caught in her throat.
“I’m not sure what to expect. I hope we won’t have to find out firsthand.”
Her mood launched into the stratosphere. “Does that mean you’re going to help Burke?”
“Not exactly.”
That brought her spirits back to earth in a hurry. She was nearly motion sick from how fast they fell. “Oh.” She let her forehead rest against his chest.
“I must do my job to the best of my ability. New information I’ve discovered has raised doubts about whether Langton is the murderer, which is why I haven’t stopped searching for the truth, whatever it might be.” He gently lifted her chin until she was looking him in the eye again. “I’ve never sent an innocent man to the executioner, no matter what kind of pressure I felt from my superiors.”
“You’re being pressured?”
“It’s part of the job.”
“In other words, if Burke is innocent, you’ll find the real killer, but if he’s guilty you won’t stand in the way. He’ll pay for his crimes.”
Miko nodded. “No matter what the consequences to us. The law must come first.”
That was all the reassurance she could ask for. Miko would find the real killer. It would be only a matter of time before they were all three together. Complete. And the aching would ease.
She decided to show her gratitude to her Master in the way she knew best. She spread her fingers wide, tangling them in his hair and pulled on the back of his head until his mouth met hers. The kiss was consuming and passionate. Her tongue parried with his in a fierce battle as their bodies melded together.
One instant, she was clothed and the next completely nude. The material of his shirt rasped against her nipples and they hardened into tight peaks.
Now on fire with raw, urgent lust, she moaned into their joined mouths and swayed backward. Still, he didn’t let up. While his tongue and lips did magical things to her mouth, his hands explored her body. Her neck, her breasts, her stomach.
Breaking the kiss, he scooped her into his arms and turned. In a snap, the empty room was filled with bondage furniture. He carried her to a kneeler and set her down. “I will not see you again until we have caught the killer.”
While positioning herself on the kneeler so she was facing Miko, she swallowed a plea that he reconsider that unwise and extremely selfish move and nodded. “I understand.”
Had he no idea how much she hated being separated from him?
He smiled at her. “You please me. In so many ways. It makes me want to please you in return.” While she watched in awe, he pulled his shirt over his head. He’d obviously done that for her benefit, knowing how much she enjoyed watching him move. His arms, shoulders, chest. Otherwise he would’ve snapped his fingers like he had the last time.
The skin of his upper body was deeply tanned and smooth, with a narrow line of hair running from his bellybutton down to the waistband of his pants, where it disappeared underneath. She knew where that sexy line led and was salivating at the thought that she’d soon be feeling his cock gliding in and out of her.
“Would you like to suck my cock?” he asked as he unzipped his pants and slowly pushed them down over his hips. His thighs were thick and muscular, also tanned and smooth-skinned like a body builder’s. His body was like a work of art.
She nodded. She wasn’t the most skilled at giving head, but she knew sucking him would drive him crazy. Considering he was having that effect on her, just by looking at her like he might jump on her and tear her up in the next instant, she felt compelled to give a little in return. She could be submissive and still take some initiative in the bedroom… or the dungeon for that matter.
Her pussy tingled as she watched him remove the final barrier between her eyes and his cock, a pair of snug black briefs. He kicked them off and stepped closer to her. His cock stood straight out, its ruddy tip mere inches from her mouth. But before she took him inside, she tipped her head and gave her Master a flirtatious smile.
His eyes widened to the size of silver dollars. And then, as she gripped his erection in her fist and swirled her tongue around the head, they narrowed to slits.
Oh yes, it was fun to be naughty.
He dug his blunt-nailed fingertips into her shoulders when she opened her mouth wide and took him in as deep as her overactive gag reflex would allow. She used her hand and mouth in unison, moving forward and back in a slow but steady pace. If his sighs and groans were any indication, he was fully appreciating every lick and suck.
Meanwhile, her body was heating up like a blast furnace. Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it knocking at her ribcage. Air rushed in and out of her lungs in short, staccato gasps and her muscles were starting to tremble. Heat had pooled deep inside, where it churned and simmered and boiled. Her pussy was empty. She wanted him inside her so much it hurt.
She couldn’t say who was in worse shape -- Miko or her -- when he jerked back, pulling his cock from her mouth.
He looked at her with fierce eyes then motioned behind her. “Do you like to be spanked, kitten?”
Truth be told, she had no idea whether she liked being spanked. At the m
oment, it sounded damn good. She responded with a, “Yes, Master,” then turned around and leaned her upper body over the support. Kneeling with her ass in the air, she felt alive and completely at her Master’s mercy. It was sexy beyond words.
He stroked her ass first with firm hands. His fingertips slipped between her ass cheeks and teased her anus before gliding up higher to tickle the small of her back. “You are so obedient and trusting. I hadn’t expected that from you, honestly. I thought you’d be more resistant.”
“Me too,” she managed to mutter. The things that man’s hands could do to her!
“Spread your knees apart.” He used his foot to push at her inner thigh. She shifted positions slightly, spreading her legs as far as she could. “Oh yes.” His voice was closer now, maybe six inches from her right shoulder. Little tingles and tickles danced up her spine. “I can smell how much you want me,” he whispered. “That is the most delicious scent in the world.” He audibly inhaled. “I can’t get enough.”
She shuddered. Her pussy clenched tightly around burning emptiness.
He pulled her ass cheeks apart. “I want you more than anything.”
Take me.
“I want to fuck you until you lack the strength to remain kneeling, until every muscle in your body is quivering and your brain has shut down and your insides are all twisted and looped around themselves. And then I want to fuck you again. This hunger. It won’t go away. It’s getting stronger and stronger. I don’t know how much longer I can deny myself.”
“Don’t.”
“You don’t understand. If I lose complete control, I’ll bite you. I can’t do that. Not yet.”
She twisted her upper body to look at him. He was holding a whip in his fist. The long leather straps cascaded down over his forearm. Her gaze locked on that whip for a few stuttering heartbeats before climbing north, to his face.
The Alpha's Touch Boxed Set (14 Book Bundle) Page 12
