Pursued: A Vampire Syndicate Paranormal Romance (The Vampire Syndicate Book 1)

by Rebecca Rivard

  I turned my back on him and dragged on my dry clothes. The damp underwear, I balled up and shoved into my front pocket.

  With his dhampir speed, Gabriel was still dressed before me and waiting by the stairs, the towels and beach blanket tucked under his arm. I snatched up my flipflops and dashed barefoot up the stairs. Maybe I couldn’t outrun him, but I had the satisfaction of hearing him blow out a hard breath as he jogged up after me.

  He left me on the lower level with Lougenia, saying, “Feed her up,” like I was a stray kitten who’d followed him home. To me, he said, “I have to go to Manhattan. I’ll be back in a day or two.”

  Dismay rolled through me. If he left, would Andre pounce? I grabbed his arm.

  “Take me with you.”

  Cool green eyes scrutinized me. “I have to work, Mila. You’d just be in the way.”

  That made me scowl. “I can entertain myself.”

  He gave Lougenia a look, and she excused herself to go back to the kitchen.

  Gabriel took my chin. “You willingly bound yourself to me, Mila. That means what I say goes. If I say you stay behind, then you do. No arguments.”

  “That’s not what—” I clamped my mouth shut.

  Shut up, Mila. Or Joey’s dead.

  I released his arm, dropped my gaze. I felt so fucking helpless. Warn Gabriel about Andre, and Joey would be forced into blood slavery. But keep silent, and Gabriel might be staked as soon as he left the grounds.

  “You’re right,” I said tonelessly. “I’m sorry.”

  He studied me for another few seconds that felt like hours, until I raised up on my toes and brushed my mouth over his. “I’ll miss you, okay?”

  “Mm.” A long arm snaked around my waist, pulling me up against him. Warm lips traced the shell of my ear, sending rivulets of heat down my spine. “When I get back,” he murmured, “you can show me just how much you missed me. I want to see you in that red thingy.”

  I nodded as he released me. But as he turned to go, I couldn’t stop myself from mouthing, “Be careful.”

  His brows drew together. He gave a slow nod, as if something had just become clear.

  But all he said was, “Get Lougenia to show you the pool. But don’t go back to the beach without me—it’s too isolated down there.” He released me. “That’s an order, by the way. And you’re not to leave the grounds. A security guard will be with you at all times.”

  “Yes, sir,” I muttered.

  He chuckled and headed upstairs. A few minutes later, I heard the thrum of a helicopter.

  According to Lougenia, Gabriel owned the largest private property in Montauk. In addition to the beach house, the compound included a five-car garage, a large pavilion for entertaining outside, and a bunker-like lair with no windows that I assumed was home to Airi and the other vampires.

  After lunch I took a path along the cliffs, trailed by the curly-haired guard from that morning. Sturdy daisies, sandwort and beach grasses dotted the cliff edges, and the scent of Pygmy pines and junipers filled the air. Flocks of twittering birds feasted greedily on the shadbush’s blueberry-like fruit.

  Far up the beach were couples and family groups with colorful umbrellas blooming like tropical flowers on the sand. But on this private path, the only person other than me was a man whose name I didn’t even know. My step hitched. I’d been alone for so long. Family outings seemed a lifetime ago.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, missing my family with my whole heart: my mom, my dad, Nonna, and especially Joey. We’d been close, despite the four year difference in our ages. I’d never thought of him as an annoying little brother because he’d been so much fun.

  Hatred for Andre stabbed through me. I dug my fingernails into my palms.

  What kind of low-down snake drags a twenty-one-year-old kid into something like this?

  Hang on, I told Joey fiercely. Help is coming. You just have to hang on a little longer.

  I hurried along the cliff until I was practically running. The guard, of course, easily kept up with me.

  The path turned inland. A short while later it ended at a quiet pond nestled in a shady woods of maples and oaks. I sat on a bench by the pond, watching the wood ducks paddle in circles.

  Trying not to think. Trying to just be.

  My guard stood ten yards away. I pretended to ignore him, but even though he was quiet as a cat, it didn’t work. I was too aware of him watching me.

  With a sigh, I got up. “Can you show me the swimming pool?”

  “Of course. You passed it on the way here.” He led the way back to where the pool was concealed in a stand of trees overlooking the ocean.

  When the guard tried to follow me inside the black steel fence, I sucked a breath through my teeth and spun to face him. “What’s your name, anyway?”

  He blinked twice, the only sign I’d startled him. “Paco.”

  “Camila.” I held out my hand. “Nice to meet you, Paco.”

  His brows climbed toward his hairline. He looked at my hand like it was a concealed weapon, but shook it. “Nice to meet you, Miss Camila.”

  “Well, Paco,” I said. “You think you could wait out here? I promise, I won’t scale the fence and escape.”

  He hesitated, then inclined his head. “As you wish. I’ll be right here.” He faded into the trees just outside the gate.

  I heaved a breath, and headed inside.

  Like everything else about the beach house, the pool was one of a kind. Four different pools had been carved out and connected to look like a waterfall spilling down the hill, with each pool pouring into the one below, ending in an infinity pool that jutted out over the Atlantic. Drought-tolerant plants like yucca, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan and spiky Russian sage were arranged in colorful drifts around the teak furniture, and a cabana at one end held everything from towels to cold drinks. There was even a bookcase stuffed with paperbacks and magazines.

  True to his word, Paco left me to enjoy the pools alone. I swam laps in the infinity pool until my muscles screamed for mercy, and then slathered on suntan lotion and stretched out on a chaise lounge with a stack of magazines.

  I flipped through a garden magazine, but for once, even flower porn couldn’t distract me, although an article about a lush Savannah estate came close.

  I knew the books wouldn’t be much better. I set the magazine on my stomach and stared up at the sky.

  If Gabriel had wanted to torture me, he couldn’t have picked a better way. I would’ve done almost anything rather than stay behind, worrying that this was the day Andre would make his move.

  I told myself Gabriel could take care of himself. He’d been trained by vampires, for God’s sake. And I’d seen for myself how good his security was—and that was just the visible security.

  But these are vampires. They’re faster, more powerful, than dhampirs.

  God, I missed my blade. I could live without a phone, but my hand literally itched for the knife’s comforting weight.

  I tossed the magazine to the concrete and jumped back into the pool.

  Dinnertime came. I showered and then dressed in one of my new summer dresses before heading for the dining room.

  This time, I had company; the two dhampirs who had been on duty that day, and Lougenia herself, who after cooking dinner, was off for the rest of the night, although she couldn’t help directing the twenty-something woman who had taken over for her in the kitchen.

  Lougenia had us all laughing about things she’d gotten up to as a girl in New Orleans. It turned out that she’d known Gabriel as a baby—her mom had worked for his mother’s family, and the Krals had been frequent visitors to Rosemarie’s parents’ home in the French Quarter.

  I egged her on, eager to hear about Gabriel’s life as a kid. It was no surprise to hear he’d been very much the big brother: responsible, disciplined and very protective of his two younger brothers.

  “He’d even take punishments for them,” she added. “But in return, he expected their loyalty, and they gav
e it to him. He’s a natural born leader. Not that he couldn’t be a devil sometimes.”

  I blinked. “Gabriel?”

  The older woman’s dark eyes crinkled around the edges. “Oh, yes. It’s the quiet ones you have to watch. Not that he was bad—he never hurt anybody with his tricks. Still, there were times he was the despair of his mama. She worried that he’d never be—.” Lougenia shot a look at the two dhampirs and halted. “’Course, you’d never know it now,” she smoothly continued. “M’sieur Gabriel works hard enough for five men. And he’s so good with his mama—calls her almost every day.”

  The dhampirs nodded agreement, and I was pretty sure they weren’t just sucking up for my benefit. They’d seemed genuinely shocked to hear that Gabriel Kral had ever been less than perfect.

  Lougenia’s helper appeared then, and the conversation moved to other things as she cleared away our dinner plates and brought out dessert. Vanilla ice cream—and a plate of ginger snaps still warm from the oven.

  My lungs seized.

  Lougenia beamed and offered me the cookies. “I baked these especially for you. M’sieur Gabriel’s orders. He said they’re your favorites.”

  “Thank you,” I said over the boulder-sized lump in my throat. “They are.”

  I helped myself to one. It was so good, sweet with a spicy bite. But I could hardly swallow it down.

  “You like them?” she asked.

  “Oh, yes.” I managed to smile at her. “They’re so good.”

  “Have some more.” She set the plate before me. “And how about some ice cream?”

  I’d lost my appetite, but I couldn’t say no. She was so pleased with herself. So I ate a couple more, along with a scoop of ice cream.

  But I got back to my bedroom, I sank on the bed and dropped my head into my hands.

  Picturing that quiet, controlled boy who took punishments for his younger brothers. And the man he’d grown up to be, the man with an enforcer’s tattoo and dangerous eyes. The made man who suspected me of being a spy, yet still remembered to order my favorite dessert.

  An acid guilt ate at my stomach.

  Oh, Gabriel. What have I done?

  14

  Gabriel

  Tomas Mraz rapped once on my office door then entered without waiting for an invitation. “That woman must go.” For once, his smile was nowhere to be seen.

  I’d gone straight to my office at the Syndicate’s headquarters—one floor up from my father’s—and plowed through the work waiting for me. The lieutenant had appeared just after I’d sent my personal assistant home, having finished the most pressing business.

  I didn’t bother to ask who Tomas meant. By now, every member of the Syndicate would’ve heard that Karoly Kral’s eldest son and heir had formed a blood bond with a human.

  I rose to my feet. “The hell she does.”

  The big blond vampire faced me from across the desk, hazel eyes flat. “Then you are the ass,” he said in his Slovak-tinged English. “Do you think she comes back because she loves you? And how is it that she knows you are at the Ruby—have you asked yourself that?”

  “Of course. That’s why I’m keeping her close. Send her away, and she’ll only disappear again. This way, I can find out who she’s working for.”

  That made Tomas pause, but only for a moment. “Then you know you must eliminate her,” he said in his blunt way. “This woman, we all know she got under your skin.”

  I stared at him, uncomprehending. Then my heart jolted.

  Kill Mila? No fucking way.

  My vampire rose up, enraged, but when I spoke, my voice was as cold and hard as his. “That was three years ago. I’m smarter now. She’s going to have to prove herself to me. And you of all people should know I’m not that easy to kill.” Hell, the man had helped train me himself.

  “I don’t trust her,” Tomas said stubbornly. “She was in Ohio a week ago, and suddenly she appears in New York. We don’t even know where she has been the last few days. All I can find out is that a taxi let her out near the Ruby, and she came straight to the entrance like she knew you’d be there.”

  My jaw tightened. He was right—this didn’t add up. But I’d take Mila and run before I’d let anyone harm her.

  “Mila accepted my blood bond. She’s mine now, understand? If anyone touches her—anyone at all—I’ll show them no fucking mercy. I will send them to the final grave myself.”

  “Karoly won’t be happy.”

  “Enough, Lieutenant.” I slapped my hands on the desk. “I’m not a kid anymore. You will treat me as the Kral crown prince, which means while my father’s away, I’m your goddamned boss—or you can get the fuck out of my office, and the building.”

  A flush suffused Tomas’s square face. He straightened to his full height. “Karoly has ordered me to guide you.”

  I showed my fangs. This day had been coming for a long time. At heart, Tomas was a follower, the perfect second to my father. But he was also a vampire, and like a wolf pack, vampires craved a clear hierarchy, with the baddest, most ruthless on top. If I didn’t establish dominance over Tomas now, I’d forever be the third in the Syndicate behind him and my father.

  “But he left me in charge, which means you take your orders from me. Is that understood?”

  The burly lieutenant dropped his eyes. “Yes,” he muttered. “My apologies, sir.”

  I retook my seat. “Sit,” I said in a hard voice.

  Tomas sat.

  I leaned back in my leather chair, pretending a calm I didn’t feel. “Now, what do you have for me tonight?”

  “I have been looking into who could have kidnapped Zaquiel. On Karoly’s orders,” he added.

  I inclined my head. “And?”

  “It could be any enforcer, of course. They are all dominant vampires.”

  “Agreed.” Coups were a fact of life in the vampire world—within the covens themselves, and within the syndicates the various covens had formed. Again, like a wolf pack, the dominant vampires were continually jockeying for position.

  “But,” he continued, “the enforcers are all handpicked by your father, with my input. We give them the piece of the pie, allow to them more freedom than the other syndicates. So, I believe that they are loyal. It’s the kapitáns that worry me. There are two or three who are perhaps…unhappy.”

  The kapitáns were the coven heads. They reported directly to my father or Tomas, and paid a tithe to the Syndicate. Within their own covens, though, the kapitán was an absolute ruler.

  “Who?” I demanded.

  Tomas hesitated, and then reluctantly shared the names. “Desiree and Travis Johnson. And Yolanda.”

  The Johnsons were a mated couple who served as joint kapitáns of the Virginia-Carolina Coven, and Yolanda (no last name) headed the Florida Coven. All three were powerful vampires who’d been turned around the same time as my father. They could easily be planning a coup, either together or singly.

  “Anyone else?”

  He shook his head. “The Johnsons were in America when Zaq landed in Paris,” he added, “but Yolanda was in Spain. She could’ve been directing things from there, but I don’t believe any of them would work with the slayers. However…” He moved his shoulders in a European shrug. “I could be wrong. I will be happy to look into this.”

  I nodded. “All right. Let me know what you find.”

  “Of course.”

  I steepled my fingers beneath my chin in unconscious imitation of my father. “Have you tied his kidnapping to Slayers, Inc.?”

  The elite group of hunters had long been tolerated by the vampire syndicates because they culled the worst of us, the vampires who’d gone so bad they were nothing but cold-blooded killers preying on humans. But in recent years, Slayers, Inc. had gone rogue, and the number of vampires being sent to their final grave had shot up.

  Very few people knew this, but my father had been working behind the scenes to wrest Slayers, Inc., back under control. They were staking vampires for money and power now�
�and that couldn’t be allowed.

  Tomas’s look was approving. “Your father asked this as well. I have looked into a possible connection, but I can find nothing.”

  “That doesn’t mean they’re not behind this.”

  “Agreed,” said Tomas. “I have run the new checks on all your people.”

  “They’re clean.” I’d had them vetted by two different organizations.

  “It seems so, yes. But be careful.”

  “I will.” I stood up, walked the lieutenant to my office door. “Keep working any angle you can find. I’ll be going back to the beach house tonight. We can talk tomorrow night at our usual time.”

  He inclined his head. “As you wish.”

  I stuck out my hand to show there were no hard feelings, and we shook.

  Tomas wished me a good evening and then hesitated, his hand on the doorknob.

  “Speak,” I said.

  “It is possible that your Camila works for the slayers. After all, she’s one of those humans who can hide their emotions from us.”

  My brow lowered. Uneasiness prickled my nape. Tomas knew way too much about Mila. But then, my father would have extensive files on her.

  “Impossible. I’ve been keeping an eye on her ever since she left.” Okay, maybe, I’d lost her for a few days here and there, but I’d always located her again.

  “Slayers undergo years of training,” I added, “but she worked at farms and low-end retail jobs, and when we first met, she was a college student.”

  “They are clever at placing their people.”

  “No,” I said firmly. “Mila is not a slayer. It’s just not possible.”

  He lifted a big shoulder, let it drop. “So she’s not a slayer. For enough money, she could still stick the silver stake into you. You are sleeping with her, no?”

  “Enough,” I ground out. “Camila Vittore is not a slayer. But”—I tensed, and then reluctantly continued—“it’s possible they’re using her.”

  “I’ll see if I can find the connection. But you will be careful. Your father will string me up by the balls if something happens to you.”