by C. L. Quinn
Michael froze in his living room, his pants around his ankles, his cock still erect, as rage built.
“I’ll kill her,” he said, his teeth set. “I’ll kill that bitch. But not until I take out every fantasy I’ve ever had on her. She’ll die begging for me to do it.”
The image of Margot tied to a rack, his cock in her mouth, her face sliced up, naked, bleeding…Michael came suddenly all over the photos on the table. The ferocious rage was gone, replaced by euphoric excitement. He didn’t think he’d ever been this sexually aroused.
“Soon, Ms. Napier. Very, very soon.”
IN A FIVE-STAR HOTEL ROOM
“David, I’m glad you guys are here.” Koen held the door to welcome David and Bryn. “How was the trip from Iceland?”
“Shaky. Still haven’t adjusted to the thrill of flight.”
“Me, either. And I own my own jet. Hello, Bryn.”
“Greetin’s, Koen. Ya just need some lubrication, laddies, and then nothin’ll bother ya at all.”
“My brother would agree with you on that if he were in his right mind. Well, in his mind at all. He isn’t.”
“Come in gentlemen. We’ve prepared a meal for you after a lengthy flight.”
“That’s okay, it’s not that far,” David commented, his eyes averted from Tamesine.
She sighed. It would take a long time, if ever, for David to forgive her, and she understood completely.
Once they were seated, Bryn dove into the elaborate spread of some of the best food in New York. After several moments, David slowly began to pick at the buffet and eventually took a plate and filled it.
It pleased Tamesine to see him relax enough to eat what she had so painstakingly prepared.
“Thank you guys for coming. We need your help to protect two humans that Xavier has become close with.” As they ate, Koen introduced their guests to the mission at hand.
“So you’ve found him?” David inquired.
“Yes, but he has no memory of who he is. Unlike when you lost your identity, David, his is due to severe brain damage that hasn’t healed properly. You at least knew your nature, but Xavier not only does not know who he is, he doesn’t know what he is.”
“He doesn’t know he’s vampire?” Bryn snapped, stunned. “How can he not know? We’re hardly the same as humans. He must have noticed the differences.”
“He has, but he convinced himself that everything was explainable. That’s pure Xavier. The thing is, we’re sure that Claude still hunts him. And we’re sure that Claude will use his old tried and true to get to him.”
“Kidnappin’,” Bryn supplied between bites.
“Aye. So Xavier is close with a man he works with, the owner of a bar called The Blind Spot, and a woman we think he’s falling for.”
David looked from Koen to Tamesine. “Something’s going on. You wouldn’t need other vampires unless you have a plan that needs them. What is it?”
Tamesine nodded. “You’re right. We have a plan and we cannot let it go wrong. Claude knows that Koen and I are here. To find him, we are going to let him do his thing. We’re going to use the woman.”
“As bait,” David finished for her, his voice flat.
“It’s deplorable, we know, but we’ve little choice. Claude must be caught and this is as close as we’ve been. She’ll be safe, we’ll be able to find her this time. I’m going to feed her, so since she’ll have my blood in her, we can trace her.”
Once again, David looked Koen, and then Tamesine, directly in the eyes. “But you don’t want to let Xavier know, right?”
Koen shook his head. “No. He wouldn’t let us use her. I wouldn’t if it were my woman. We just have to cross all t’s and dot all i’s. We’re powerful vampires, this should be a cakewalk.”
“I agree. But how many times has it ever been? Things always go off the chain.”
Leaning forward, Tamesine responded. “Not this time. It can’t. Claude won’t hurt her when he takes her, only after he gets what he wants.”
David could hear the anger in Koen’s voice when he spoke. “And what he wants is Xavier’s head in a different zip code than his body.”
Pausing, David tucked a potato chip into a ranch dip and nipped at it until it was gone, then looked up. “He’s the last one, right? The last of the SRS, yeah? After we get this asshole, it’s done. Right?”
Tamesine carefully moved forward to touch David’s arm, hesitating before she did so. She would never forget that she was responsible for decades of his entrapment and torture. “It will finally be done, David, yes.”
“Then let’s fuckin’ get him,” Bryn barked, growling like a bear.
“I like your enthusiasm,” Koen commented. “We just need you guys for support and a little exit strategy. This man is adept in providing himself with clever methods of egress. We need to cover all possibilities. He can not get away this time.”
“He won’t.” David, his voice quiet and controlled now, refilled his plate and reached for a bottle of cola.
Koen knew it was a non-confrontational gesture aimed at Bryn, who had a history of excess with alcohol.
Bryn kept his eyes on his lifelong friend as he chose a strawberry wine cooler brought to the table by Tamesine.
David smiled his approval.
The meal continued in comfortable camaraderie, catching up on each other’s families and households.
Tamesine watched the vampire Bryn as he enjoyed his food with gusto, and while he seemed to like the wine coolers, she saw him glance more than once at Koen’s glass of whisky.
She remembered meeting him in Brazil when they flew down to rescue him and the woman who would become his mate. In spite of the messy circumstances, he’d impressed her with his even temperament and easy humor. She’d left there with the idea that he might be the stuff of heroes, and now, watching him laugh loudly at something Koen said, the feeling was even stronger.
With Koen and David, powerful first bloods, and this motivated vampire, Tamesine thought that they had the perfect team to end Claude’s threat to their race.
Nearly a year ago, the self-centered homicidal bastard had forced her to convert him at Koen’s villa in France. It was during an historic Christmas celebration when both clans of first blood vampires had gathered together for the first time. Now, with Christmas just around the corner, this was an appropriate time to put this awful past to rest forever. It was time to go home to live with love and peace until the children of the earth were called to arms.
Margot hadn’t shown up last night. Normally, Xavier wouldn’t have been concerned, but after what Koen and Tamesine had revealed about his enemy, he needed to be sure that she was okay. Leaving Lucky was the easier choice since he knew that, although his boss might be in danger too, Lucky was surrounded by a lot of people all night. He had to be the safer of the two.
As the sun dropped away, Xavier headed to her apartment.
He’d just arrived at Margot’s apartment building, waiting for the light to change, when he saw her exiting with a man and small woman.
Jealousy spiked unbidden. While he knew that he had no right, their relationship was new and no intentions or declarations had been made, he still couldn’t stop the sharp pain that struck him when he saw the man touch her arm.
He wanted to shred him! With no forethought, he found himself there with them, beneath the covered entrance, behind Margot.
Margot planned to take Robert and Cheeky out for a nice dinner, then leave Robert at her apartment alone with Cheeky.
“Bring her story out, Gopher,” she’d told him earlier in the evening on the phone. “She’s taken to you. See if you can get her talking. Get some details. Get her comfortable with telling her story. I’m going to take her final statement tomorrow morning and then, hopefully, we’re off to file the complaint.”
Now, on another pleasant autumn night, she stood at the entrance to her building.
“I’ve chosen a new mid-town restaurant that I think you’ll like,” s
he told her companions.
“Do I look okay? I’ve never eaten at any fine restaurant before.”
Looking over Cheeky, her hair brushed to a bright shine, loose around her make-up free face, her young skin flawless, tight jeans and shirt perfect for her slim body, Margot nodded. “Cheeky, you look beautiful. Don’t let anyone ever tell you or make you feel like you are less than they are. You can go anywhere and do anything you want. I mean it.”
“Sure you do, but look at you, all classy and professional.”
“My mother was on public assistance and we lived in one of ten different shitty apartments along the east coast, once actually on the street, Cheeky. You can do exactly what I did. Don’t see your limits, look up at the sky. It’s clear with no boundaries. The only thing that will stop you is you.”
“And what I’ve been. I’m a whore, Margot.”
“No. Whatever you’ve been isn’t who you are and it isn’t important. Stick with me, and I’ll help you, okay?”
Cheeky finally smiled. “Okay.”
Robert, smiling too, touched Margot’s arm. “The cab’s here.”
As Margot started to follow him, she lifted her head.
Xavier? His scent filled the air. Her eyes moved over the street in front of her, but she didn’t see him. A hand slid around her waist from behind and pulled her against a warm body.
“Lass.”
His voice, his presence, that indefinably irresistible scent, surrounded Margot. She leaned back into him as he wrapped his arms around her, her eyes closed to absorb him and the feelings his touch created.
“Xavier, what are you doing here?”
Opening her eyes, she saw Cheeky, her big blue eyes wide, a grin on her face, and Robert, his arms folded, and a stern grimace on his face.
“I’m claimin’ ya,” Xavier said, loud, and Margot knew it was targeted to Robert.
She should pull away, but she didn’t want to move. Still, gathering herself together, she did move and turned to face him.
God, she kept forgetting how huge and magnificent he was. “Xavier, it’s wonderful to see you again, but I’m on my way out.”
“This one’s yours? That is one major hunk of man, Margot. Sign me up!” Cheeky had moved closer.
Robert slipped past Cheeky to within inches of Xavier, and, his eyes on Xavier, he asked, “You know this man?”
Xavier stepped closer to Robert to make his relationship with Margot clear. “She knows me. Very, very well.”
Robert’s eyes shifted to Margot, who only now realized that Robert had a thing for her. Shit. That was not a good complication, unreturned romantic interest never was. She adored him; she didn’t want to hurt him for anything in the world. What was the best way to handle this?
Her concern turned out to be unnecessary. Robert, as usual, assessed the situation and rose to it appropriately.
“Well then, we should invite your paramour to dinner with us.” He put out a hand. “I’m Robert.”
Xavier grasped Robert’s hand.
Margot watched the handshake as Xavier’s fingers gripped Robert’s and Robert winced. She wrapped her own around Xavier’s and squeezed.
“Play nice boys. Xavier, would you join us for dinner?”
Since he’d lost his memory, Xavier had stayed in the Smoke District other than the one time he’d come to see Margot in Manhattan. He looked down at his tight tee shirt and thrift-store jeans, and shook his head.
“I’m not prepared for a nice restaurant.”
Robert waved a hand. “Pishaw. No one is going to question a big guy like you.”
Cheeky came up next to Robert and put a hand on Xavier’s bicep. “Margot said we are good as anyone. Anyway, ain’t anything that wouldn’t look good on you.”
Margot decided it was settled. “You’re coming, Xavier. Robert, ask the doorman to bring around the small limo.”
Cheeky’s eyes glowed. “Limo?”
Shrugging, Margot glanced at her. “It’s a perk.” She turned to Xavier. “You’ll have a good time.”
“I couldn’t say no to ya. Just forgive me if my dinin’ skills aren’t up to code.”
Leaning close, eyes shining, Margot slid a finger into the waistband of his jeans. “Other things are.”
Xavier’s cock stiffened. He’d take her sometime tonight. His reason for coming to her was to protect her, but he needed her. More than that, because he now knew why, he needed her blood, too.
An hour later, everyone pleasantly filled with wine and appetizers, the main entrees were served.
Margot had been impressed how well this remarkably diverse group of people had gotten along as they dined together. Xavier had surprised her.
As she cut into a perfectly prepared pink-centered filet mignon, she put a piece into her mouth and moaned.
She looked up to see Xavier’s eyes on her mouth, electricity seemed to spark when he shifted his gaze to hers, his expression intense, his fingers tapping the table suddenly, urgently. He stood and addressed everyone at the table.
“Please excuse me. I’ll be back shortly.”
He bowed and walked to the back of the restaurant.
Margot didn’t move, her fork still suspended above her plate as it had been when she first looked up at him seconds earlier. Her eyes moved to the others, all surprised at Xavier’s abrupt departure.
“When you gotta go, you gotta go,” she quipped, and put another piece of meat into her mouth. She chewed automatically, but her attention was fractured. All she could picture was Xavier waiting for her in the hallway, naked. He couldn’t be, of course, he was in public, but she could not stop the image.
Nearly as abruptly, Margot laid her knife and fork down and stood. “What do you know? It must be contagious. Ladies room. I’ll, uh, be back shortly.”
She did not realize that she’d parroted Xavier.
Robert and Cheeky exchanged glances, and Cheeky giggled.
“That was subtle,” Robert said.
“That was hot,” Cheeky corrected.
As Margot reached the hallway in the rear of the restaurant, she looked to the left to see no one there, but when she looked right, she saw Xavier holding the door to the stairwell open. Slowly, she walked toward him.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m takin’ ya to the roof. The view is astoundin’.”
How could he know? He hadn’t been there long enough to have gone up and come back down.
“Xavier, the rooftop is off limits. They lock the door.”
“Not for me, they don’t.” His big hand curled around her smaller one. “Come.”
That word! That simple word with two meanings had become her favorite word. Margot wrapped her fingers around his and followed him up the stairs. The entire way up her heart rate soared.
“What do you do to me, Scotsman, that I can barely think of anything but sex when you’re around?”
“Whatever it is, it’s catchin’!”
The door at the top of the stairs opened out to crisp night air, city lights as far as the eye could see, and a dark sky with barely visible stars. The view was not unlike that from her apartment, but here, now, with this man at her side in the most erotic moment of her life, it all looked surreal.
She walked to the edge of the roof to lean over the brick wall that struck her just above waist high.
“I can barely breathe when I’m with you, Xavier.”
“It’s because I’m supernatural, counselor.”
“I can believe that. Devil?”
Xavier laughed as he pulled her close, his carved chest against the curve of her back, and nuzzled into her neck like he belonged there, his fangs dropping. “Would ya believe vampire?”
The back of her head against him, eyes closed again, Margot moaned, ready. “Aye,” she murmured, using his brogue.
“Then I’ll taste ya.”
He turned her slightly until she fit into his side.
The quick bite went unnoticed because Margot was so h
orny, all she felt were his hands as they pulled her blouse open and his fingers rolled her nipples, one and then the other. All she knew was that whatever he was doing to her turned her on. When he released a deep moan, she felt moisture surge.
Finally, his mouth moved down to play with each nipple until she whispered, “In.” There were times for foreplay and this wasn’t one of them.
Xavier turned Margot around to face the city and bent her over the wall.
“I’ve got ya lass, I won’t let ya fall.”
He lifted her skirt, her panties gone suddenly, and entered her from behind with a deep thrust. The combination of feeling him move inside her, the hot friction, the cool air, the semi-public place, and just his body moving along hers, she almost came immediately from intense mental and physical stimulation.
“I’m addicted to you,” she whispered almost silently, meant only for herself, an emotion that struck her as she let herself experience every touch, every movement of this big man.
Seconds later she felt his mouth near her ear, shocked when he responded. “I’m just as addicted.”
Each powerful stroke more intimate than anything she’d ever felt, she orgasmed just after he did, pumping into her hard, his hands on her back and neck, pressed tight to her buttocks and thighs.
Both breathing raggedly, satiated, he lay against her, careful with his greater weight. After a deep breath, Xavier whispered, “Margot, I need ya to come and stay with me.”
The request surprised her. They were still new, she couldn’t move in with him. Could she? No, it was too soon.
“Um, Xavier, that’s sweet, but…”
“Nay.” He cut her off, a hand still caressing her. “I mean so that I can protect ya. I’ve found out that my enemy has a habit of abductin’ people and usin’ them for leverage. I can’t let him hurt ya.”
Turning in his arms, Margot held his face in her hands.
“You don’t need to. I can protect myself. But I like that you want to be my hero.”
“Not from this man, ya can’t.”
Xavier pulled her hands down and held them to his chest. “I’m dead serious, lass. This man…he’s no normal man. He has power like I do. He will hurt or kill ya.”
