“I sent pictures,” Garrison said. “You guys will love them.”
Muffled chuckles behind Serge drew Lawrie’s attention. Three sets of eyes glowed behind the vampire in front of her. She pulled her hand back.
“You should heal her hand before we go in,” Serge said.
“That’s not an option at this point in time,” Reade said.
Serge looked beyond them to the guard shack. “One guard, two cameras. I think we can manage that while you care for her.” Serge’s attention came back to Reade and Lawrie, and she’d have sworn he was looking straight through her.
Reade shifted behind her. “She’s not going to like it.”
Serge turned back to Lawrie. “Does your hand hurt?”
She had to remind herself not to be rude. What did he think? She had a black and blue lobster claw as an appendage. He had to know it hurt. She nodded.
“Would you like us to fix it?”
“I, well, what does that entail?” She wasn’t stupid. She wasn’t about to answer yes to something that could land her with fangs of her own.
“As I understand it you’ve been drinking vampire blood lately.”
Lawrie’s cheeks heated. That feeling like she’d been caught red-handed set in again. She twisted her lips to the right and stared at Serge’s chest.
“Curiosity?”
She shook her head. “I was trying to understand my father’s hypotheses and really I had no one else to experiment on so I had to be the one. The idea of being able to use vam…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she was telling a group of vampires more than she probably should.
“I warned you, and now look. Roosters have come home to crow.” The man with the spike in his ear stepped beside Serge. “God only knows what Raymond has done with the blood you gave him.”
“I didn’t give any blood to Raymond,” Reade snarled, his fangs descended. “I gave it to Lawrence.”
Anger vibrated in the air. “This is probably all a setup to trick us into returning to Panthera. A trap.” The spike-eared man stepped closer. “Your stupid obsession is going to get us all killed.”
Lawrie felt her heart slowing. Everything around her appeared in crisp detail despite the fact they stood in pitch darkness.
“You never should have made the blood pact. No good ever comes of them.” The man standing before them inched closer to Reade so that they were nearly nose-to-nose. “But you already knew that.”
Feral desire pulsed inside Lawrie. Her shoulders dropped back, muscles aching in her arms and chest. She wanted to rip this guy’s head clean off his shoulders.
Reade twisted Lawrie to the side, moving her out from between the two men. “Remain calm, Lawrie.” His arm tightened around her waist. “No need to waste your energy on Brandt.”
“It wouldn’t be a waste.” The dark and deadly sound of her own voice surprised her.
“Interesting. Step back, Brandt. Now is not the time, and frankly I don’t see how you’d be able to take both of them.” Serge looked from Reade to Lawrie. “It seems they come as a pair.”
Brandt snickered and stepped back. “If this goes south, I’m coming for you.” He glared at Reade. “You’re not getting away with this so easily.”
Lawrie tried lunging for him, but barely moved against Reade’s ironclad hold.
“I don’t see why you would mind the fix to this.” Serge turned Lawrie’s hand to see the underside. “It looks quite painful.”
She sucked in a sharp breath as he tried to uncurl her fingers. “It’s awful. Please don’t do that.” For a few seconds she’d managed to forget the crippling pain.
He released her hand. “Reade will heal your hand and you’ll feel fine, better than fine. If decades-old blood can make you knowingly put yourself in the middle of two arguing vampires, fresh blood will probably make you fly.”
“Fresh?” she asked.
Serge motioned to the other men. “Rafe, Gabe, take the cameras on those two buildings. Garrison, you take the guard. Brandt, manage the security desk in the shack. I’ll deal with the patrol coming at us.”
Without another sound the five vampires moved as silent as shadows.
Reade spun Lawrie in his arms. His blue eyes were darker than the midnight sky and glowed with a fire deep inside. “Don’t think about what you’re doing. Just drink.”
“Wait. No. I don’t think this is a good…” Her voice trailed off the second she caught a whiff of his blood.
She stared at his wrist. Dark red blood trickled from two puncture marks, slowly running the span of his wrist to drip on the ground.
“I can’t.” She stepped back. “I only did it as an experiment.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what this could do. The ramifications could be much worse.”
“Worse than breaking your hand on my face?”
She glanced over his shoulder in time to see Brandt sink his fangs into the security guard’s neck.
“Don’t watch.” Reade stepped to the side, blocking her view. “What do you think could possibly happen? You think you’ll turn?”
“The thought had crossed my mind. And although I’m sure it’s a life well worth living, it’s not the way I’d hoped to live out mine.” She’d been monitoring herself for the last three weeks, wondering if and when the transformation might take place. She’d figured it probably wouldn’t, based on her father’s notes about how the other specimen had…
Her mouth dropped open.
Reade raised his wrist.
She grabbed his arm, holding him at bay. “I’ve been studying his notes all this time only to realize I was the other specimen who drank the blood.”
Reade nodded. “Yes. That’s why we have the pact. It was accidental.” His free hand rested on her neck, massaging her tense muscles. “If you haven’t turned vampire by now, it’s not going to happen. Besides, it’s more complex than just taking a sip. We’ve been healing humans for years.” He turned her around, pulling her back against his chest. “Just a couple swallows and you’ll be fine. I promise.”
“I don’t really know you so your promise isn’t worth much.” Lawrie inhaled.
The scent of blood, metallic and meaty, came to her. It wasn’t all that repulsive. Fresh blood smelled better than cryogenically frozen blood. She couldn’t quite understand how she was able to smell Reade.
But through the blood she smelled him. Manly. Sexy. Spicy.
“You know me well enough. If you focus, you’ll be able to feel my intentions. You’ll know I have no plan to do anything but keep you safe.” His voice dropped to a deep whisper, softly caressing her ear. “Close your eyes. Look within. Feel my blood coursing through you.”
Lawrie closed her eyes and once again everything around her slowed. She’d have sworn she was having an out-of-body experience. She noted her own respirations, full, but fewer than normal. Her heart pounded a steady beat, much slower than usual.
She did not have to work at all to notice something different moving within her. It was like a foreign essence existed inside, hovering, waiting. Its warmth surprised her, filling her with calm.
Moving through her as if one with her, the essence wound its way around her heart, over the top and down the back, as if creating a protective covering. She felt completely safe, not at all worried about its intent.
Lawrie opened her eyes and looked up at Reade.
His dark eyes shined down at her. “You must know I have no plan to hurt you or to allow anyone else to hurt you either. Take what I offer. Heal yourself.” The words whispered inside Lawrie, not just her ears or her mind, but in her heart she felt them.
“Your lips. They didn’t move.”
He barely shook his head. His wrist rose to her face. “Lawrie, take what you need. We have to go.” Again the words whispered inside her, unspoken.
She brought his wrist to her lips and sucked at the bite mark.
Her tongue sizzled the second she tasted Reade’s blood. Instant heat raced through her, spreading
like wildfire over dry land.
The silent essence within coursed through her, moving faster than her own blood moved, touching every part of her and pooling wherever she ached.
Her hand tingled in a series of painful throbs that subsided before she could fully realize how much it hurt. The bones knit back together. The bruising faded.
Reade’s fingers slid between hers, and he massaged her aching muscles, straightening and bending her crippled fingers, until finally she was able to work her hand on her own.
With her body pressed to Reade’s she felt his heart beat against her, matching hers…or was hers matching his? She wasn’t sure. What she did know was their hearts beat as one. His heart called to her.
Never had she felt so cared for. Never had anyone shown her such kindness. She couldn’t remember a single time when she’d ever felt this loved.
Chapter Eleven
Reade’s body stiffened as Lawrie’s tongue worked the puncture marks at his wrist. Parts of him that shouldn’t stiffen were harder than they’d been in several days. He knew he should step away from her, but the feel of her soft body pressed against his while her mouth latched onto his wrist made him stand his ground and pray she never stopped.
Reade had only ever experienced the thrill of sharing his blood with a human once before. It wasn’t something most vampires did. It wasn’t something he took lightly.
He couldn’t help but massage her hand, to work away the pain she’d suffered all evening. He didn’t want her to hurt anymore, not because of him or anyone else.
Blood sharing never seemed to end well. At least that’s what his experience had taught him. Care enough for a human to share your blood, have your heart torn out when the human dies.
He would never have shared with Lawrie. His plan had never been to give away his own blood for any human to drink. Experiments, studies, theories. Those were all reasons to give away a little blood. A little. Not much. Just a few pints. And only to someone he wholeheartedly trusted.
That’s what he’d done.
But then when the baby got into the mix his entire world spun as if on a blood-separating machine. Everything he’d ever believed, known or understood went right out the window.
Now, twenty years later, that baby was a full-grown woman, and their blood pact was getting stronger by the second. He’d loved her as a baby. And as sure as he stood with her tonight he knew he loved her as a woman.
He inhaled the scent of her, sweet, powdery. He’d missed that scent. He’d missed her smile, her laugh.
His lips brushed the top of her head, and she sighed, pulling her mouth away from his wrist.
When she tipped her face up to his, her half-closed eyes glowed like a vampire’s in the night. She licked her lips and sighed. “That wasn’t half bad.” Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you.”
The urge to kiss her, to hold her, to make love to her was nearly overwhelming. Reade hadn’t felt this much desire ever.
“You’re welcome,” he whispered, realizing that if anything happened to her tonight, if she didn’t leave here with him, he’d have to die. There was no way he could live without her for another second.
Reade pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Her breath caught, but her lips pressed up to his.
Someone cleared his throat. “He said heal her, not molest her,” Brandt said.
“I got that on video, too,” Garrison held his phone up.
Lawrie broke away from Reade, stepping out of his arms. She stared ahead.
“Put it away,” Serge ordered.
“Fine.” Garrison tucked the phone into his pocket.
“Lawrie, you’re still in the original building?” Serge asked.
“Yes. I’m in the same room I’ve been in my whole life.” She nodded. “No upgrades for me.”
Reade wasn’t surprised they’d treated her like garbage, though he was thankful they’d left her in an old building, one he was sure wouldn’t have half the bells and whistles of the new facility. “This will make it a lot easier than having to break into the new building.” He surveyed the area around them.
Brandt glared at Reade, then snickered. “What’s happening in the other buildings?”
“Brandt.” Serge’s voice was a warning. Reade was more than familiar with the tone.
“I’m not going in until we know exactly why she’s out. Don’t tell me I’m the only one who finds it odd that Ms. Tyrone has reappeared after all these years.” Brandt looked from Gabe to Rafe and the brothers nodded.
Lawrie squared her shoulders. “Look. I don’t need your help. I can go right back in there with no problem. I’ve lived there my whole life. It’s not like I came looking for help.”
“What did you come looking for?” Brandt stepped closer. “Rumor has it Raymond is looking for a vampire for his twisted experiments. Seems like an odd coincidence that you’re suddenly here.”
Anger rippled in the air, rolling off Brandt.
Reade wanted to kill him. “If you’re so scared, why don’t you just go home?” He knew getting into it with Brandt right here would only draw attention, but he wasn’t tolerating the accusation.
Brandt’s hands curled to fists.
“He does have a point.” Serge stepped between them. “How have you ensured we aren’t walking into a trap?”
Reade maintained his glare at Brandt. He hated to admit it, but he hadn’t done anything to ensure she was telling the truth. He believed her because of who she was and because they had a blood pact. He would never betray her. Was he so wrong to think she wouldn’t betray him either?
“We have a blood pact,” he said.
“A twenty-year-old pact that isn’t kept fresh is not good enough,” Brandt said.
Serge nodded toward Lawrie. “You know what you must do.”
Reade hissed at Brandt. He’d rather kill the bastard than do what he must. But deep down he knew Brandt was right. He knew he couldn’t risk the lives of his brothers without knowing for sure.
Lawrie stepped sideways, keeping everyone, including Reade, in her sight. “What is he talking about?”
Reade caught her hand. “I won’t hurt you.” He rubbed his thumb over her now healed knuckles. “But you have to allow me to ask you a few questions.” He tried to put it as simply as he could.
Her eyes narrowed. “Why doesn’t that sound right?”
Reade rested his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes, holding back from trying to influence her in any way. He wanted her to understand and agree to allow him to use his vampire persuasion to question her. He wanted to be sure she didn’t feel forced by him.
“Because I need you to allow me free reign on the questioning.”
Her eyebrows drew together and her jaw dropped open as though she might argue, but she closed her mouth and nodded. “Fine. I have nothing to hide.” Her voice, though soft as a whisper, was confident and clear. “Go ahead.”
In spite of having used his vampire ability to persuade hundreds, if not thousands of humans over the years, Reade was not prepared for this experience.
It wasn’t just the deeper blue color of her eyes that amazed him or the fact they glowed as brightly as any vampires. It was that she focused so wholly on him without fear. She bravely met his gaze without flinching or trying to resist. Garrison had it right. She was a little firecracker.
He still couldn’t believe the color had changed from sharing his blood, but he was more than happy for the physical sign that she was his.
He whispered, “Relax, Lawrie. Don’t be afraid.” Their connection was stronger than any he’d ever felt.
She nodded and slowly her eyes closed, her head drifting back.
“What is Raymond planning?” He kept his voice low and even.
“He wants to exterminate vampires. He hates you.”
“Did he send you out to find one for him?”
Lawrie shook her head. “No. He doesn’t know I left.”
“Ask her why she left and what the hell she’s
up to,” Brandt demanded.
Reade struggled not to break the connection he had with Lawrie in order to beat the hell out of the vampire behind him. But the last thing he wanted was for her to come back to consciousness and find him in a brawl.
“Why did you leave the compound?”
“I snuck out to see what the world is like.” A tear slipped from under her lashes to roll down her cheek. “I want to find a place where I belong, where people like me.”
Reade knew that if he ever had the chance to kill Raymond Tyrone, he’d enjoy every second of it.
“Are we walking into a trap?” He could hardly get the question out.
“No. Raymond spends all his time in his new lab. He doesn’t pay any attention to me.”
Reade glanced at Serge.
“Ask her why he’s kept her if he doesn’t want her,” Serge said.
“Lawrie, why did Raymond keep you around after the fire?”
Several more tears slid down her cheeks. “He used me in experiments.” Her voiced cracked. “Not any more, but before.”
“We’re done.” Reade glared at Brandt. “Are you happy? If you’re still concerned, get the fuck out.” He turned back and wiped away the tears from her face. “Look at me, Lawrie.”
When she did, her glossy eyes no longer held the ire that had filled them moments earlier. “Did I pass?”
Reade nodded. “With flying colors.”
She shrugged. “Told you I had nothing to hide.” She looked past him to the other vampires.
“We’re happy to help you, Lawrie,” Serge said.
“Thanks.”
Reade wanted nothing more than to carry her away from Panthera, to bring her to his home where he’d shower her with love and gifts and any other thing she wanted so that she’d know just how valuable she was to him. Her insistence on getting her things nearly drove him to madness, but if this was what she wanted, he’d make it happen for her.
He scanned the building. The side door was some fifty yards away. “I don’t notice any other cameras.”
“No, there were only the two,” Lawrie said. She stepped past Reade to stand beside Serge. “Once inside there’s one camera at the door. It doesn’t swivel and only covers the left side of the door. The door opens on the right. If the door isn’t opened beyond fifteen and three-quarter inches, we should be able to sneak in fine.”
Her Vampire’s Promise Page 7
