Alec hit him and Jean-Philippe sailed across the room.
‘Laura, get in the lift!’ Alec cried as Jean-Philippe recovered and went for him sending the two of them crashing into the dining chairs. Splintered wood flew in all directions.
I ran and pressed the elevator button when I heard a loud grunt. I turned to see Jean-Philippe plunge a long, sharp piece of splintered wood into Alec’s chest.
I screamed as Alec collapsed.
Unable to fathom what I was seeing, I could only stare in shock; my feet leaden, as if petrified, and my mind a complete blank. He was still alive and blinking in confusion as he stared down at the stake planted deeply in his heart.
‘No!’ I screamed and raced to his side just as the elevator doors opened.
Blood smeared my hands as I tried to pull the thing from his body, but it was firmly wedged between his ribs. Jean-Philippe’s arms caught me around the waist and I kicked and screamed as he tried to haul me away from Alec.
‘Your turn now. We have unfinished business, little sis,’ he said and clamped his hand over my mouth. ‘If Russell hadn’t botched the job none of this would be necessary right now.’
He tucked me under his arm and headed for the loft. My stomach lurched sickeningly while my mind grappled with what he had just said. Images of that awful night Russell snuck into my hospital room flashed through my mind and a mixture of anger and fear swept through me. I bit into his hand on my mouth till I tasted blood and scratched his other.
‘Aahhh! Little cat,’ he cried through gritted teeth and dropped me.
I dove under the heavy dining table amid pieces of broken chairs and split timbers, and hefted a particularly sharp and nasty looking fragment as Jean-Philippe came after me. My hands shook but I didn’t dare let go. Alec was only a few feet away from me—eyes closed, grimacing—as he attempted to pull the stake from his body.
Thank God it wasn’t made of white oak, but what other damage could that wooden stake do? He could still die!
I choked back a sob and resisted the urge to run to him. If Jean-Philippe knew Alec was still alive he’d go back and finish the job. I had to draw him away and hope—and pray—that Luc would get here soon.
‘There’s no use fighting me, little girl,’ he sneered as he poked his head under the table and tried to grab me.
‘You bastard. You sick, sick bastard!’ I screamed and wacked him on the side of the head with the chair leg so hard the wood splintered and fell apart.
He snarled, got to his feet and upended it, sending the heavy wooden table crashing into a wall lined with books, pictures and other objects. Debris scattered all over the floor and he stood there glaring down at me. My knees were tucked under my chin and my heart pounded as I looked back up at him.
He grinned, exposing fangs, and extended a hand down toward me. ‘Come to me, Laura.’
I shook my head and backed away while my hand searched for another weapon to use. ‘You put Russell up to it!’
‘You think that fool would’ve been able to get into your room on his own? I was the one who told him about the Serpent Ring. Alec very conveniently revealed how it worked the night of your abduction. He used it to get into the disused theatre without being detected.’ He was boasting about it, smiling, proud of his cleverness.
I remembered my terror and pain and the adrenalin coursed through me.
I grabbed another long piece of broken wood and swiped the back of his knees with it causing him to temporarily lose balance and stumble backwards.
‘Merde,’ he swore.
I got up and made a run for the closest door. It appeared to lead outside—a rooftop garden perhaps? It would lead him away from Alec, but it meant I’d be alone.
As I reached for the handle, he tackled my legs. I went down and the piece of wood flew from my grasp and skidded across the floor. His powerful hands grabbed my waist, spun me around and ripped open the top half of my dress. Buttons bounced on the tiles and his eyes burned as he stared at my body.
I aimed a fist at his face, intending to ram his nose through to the back of his skull, but my action was too humanly slow. He growled, grabbed my wrists and pinned my arms above my head. ‘Stop struggling! I did it for you—for us! Russell knew how I felt about you, noticed it that night and we came to an arrangement—I spare his life and he helps me get you.’
My legs were still free. I raised them and kicked into his chest as hard as I could. It managed to dislodge him for an instant, enough time for me to try for another run, but he grabbed my ankle and I fell flat on my face onto the tiled floor, the breath knocked out of me.
He was on top of me in a blink, pushing up my dress and slipping his hand down the front of my panties. ‘I don’t want to take you like this Laura, but I will if I have to!’ he panted in my ear.
‘Bastard! I hate you!’ I screamed and kicked at him while trying to reach out for the alabaster chess pieces on the small table near my hands. I grabbed two of the larger ones, twisted around and thrust their pointy ends into his ears. He roared in pain and reared up in an attempt to pull them out. That was all the time I needed to scramble out from under him.
I managed to get to my feet when Jean-Philippe caught my hair and pulled me toward him. I screamed and reached behind me to scratch the skin along the back of his hands, adding to the ones I gave him previously.
He let go of my hair, grabbed me by the neck and threw me to the ground. As my forehead grazed the tiles, he roughly grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face him.
‘Thought you could get away from me?’ he growled and pinned me under him again, imprisoning my hands above my head with one hand, as I kicked at every soft part of him. Still, it was impossible to prevent him from wedging his knee between my legs and forcing them apart. My stomach tightened. ‘I’m going to have you and watch your face while I’m doing it,’ he grinned, as his other hand slowly undid the rest of the buttons on my dress.
I gasped and tried to wriggle my hips out from under him, but he dug his knee deeper between my legs and pressed his weight down on me.
‘Stop struggling,’ he repeated. ‘It’s really up to you whether this will be a pleasant experience or not!’
‘You sick son of a bitch!’
He struck me hard across the face till the tears welled up in my eyes. ‘See what you made me do! If you had only come with me when I’d asked. As it is…’ he shrugged and his fingers undid the front clasp of my bra. ‘It was such a simple plan…’ his hand stroked my breast as he pushed my bra aside. My skin shrank back in revulsion.
‘Exquisite!’ he said.
‘Don’t you touch me you sick bastard!’ I screamed.
He laughed. ‘Too late! Now as I was saying, Russell was supposed to have taken you out of there and down to my car.’ He ran his hand back and forth slowly over my breasts as he spoke. Bile rose in my throat and I had to force it down. ‘Instead he stayed too long and got trapped, the idiot!’ A look of disgust crossed his face. ‘I waited outside, listening, then Alec shows up and then my dear Pere! I should have known better than to rely on that fool, Russell! I had no choice but to kill him or he would have revealed everything.’
I couldn’t bear to listen to any more—he was clearly deranged—and I turned my head away praying that someone, anyone would get here quickly.
He clutched my chin and forced me to look at him. ‘No more waiting. I’m going to fuck you now, after which I’m going to kill you. It’s the only way I can be free of you.’
It wasn’t just his vulgarity, but the chilling way he said it that terrified me. Luc hadn’t come and Alec’s life was slowly ebbing away just a few feet from me while I was in the hands of a monster. That moment a deep resolve took hold and my terror gave way to anger. It welled up in me like a giant wave and I struggled even more against him, screaming, ‘No! I won’t let you!’
Jean-Philippe laughed and, quicker than a snake, lowered his head till his mouth was on mine, his tongue forcing its way past my teeth. I squirmed and kick
ed beneath him and then bit down hard on his tongue. He growled and pulled out of my mouth and a strength I never knew I possessed, surged through me. I strained against his powerful grip and managed to free my hands long enough to push him off me.
There was a loud roar, the shattering of more glass, and Luc was pulling me free. At the same instant I saw Alec rise and grab Jean-Philippe from behind and ram the bloodied piece of wood that had been embedded in his own chest, deep into Jean-Philippe’s back until the tip protruded out the other side.
Jean-Philippe’s eyes widened, his shoulders bunched back and his body began to convulse as the deadly splinter did its job. Ashen-faced and with blood pouring from the gaping wound, he collapsed and writhed on the ground as his hands clawed at the protruding stake.
I pulled out of Luc’s embrace, re-hooked my bra clasp and went to Alec, who had collapsed next to Jean-Philippe’s body. Jake, Terens and Cal were at his side. They’d torn off his shirt in an attempt to staunch the blood flow.
‘Alec! Alec! C’mon my brother, hang in there,’ Jake urged. I heard the panic in his voice.
‘Shit!’ Terens uttered when he saw Alec’s wound. He glanced back at Jean-Philippe’s still form. ‘He planned Laura’s kidnapping—with Russell!’ The expression on his face—and Cal’s—was one of disbelief mingled with anger.
‘Alec.’ I knelt by him. He was pallid and his breath came in gasps. I took his hand and held it to my cheek.
‘Laura!’ Jake got my attention. ‘He needs your blood, now.’
‘Quickly ma petite, or he won’t survive,’ Luc said.
I lovingly touched Alec’s face, bit back tears—this was not the time—gathered my hair to one side and leaned down to him. Cal and Jake lifted his upper body and angled his head till his mouth was against my throat.
‘Alec, don’t die. Please, please don’t die. I don’t want to be without you!’ His beautiful face had gone deathly white. The tears stung behind my eyes, then I felt his fangs slide out, the quick sting and he was sucking—weak at first then stronger. ‘Oh yes,’ I heard myself say and my body relaxed into him. I closed my eyes as he drank; could feel his strength returning.
He gripped the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him as his other arm encircled my waist. I felt myself utterly possessed and my body hummed with another sort of pleasure—that my blood was for him alone, his life giver and sustainer. As he continued to drink, I felt no dizziness, no weakness, only an intense peace I didn’t want to end. It was the effect of the vampire’s bite.
My vampire.
Too soon it was over, he finished and licked the puncture marks he’d made, kissed my neck and gazed at me.
The adrenaline gone, I slumped against him and my body began to shake. Soon the shock of what had just occurred would follow. But for now, we were both alive and neither of us spoke as Alec cradled me in his arms.
‘Ma petite.’ Luc was on his haunches next to us, his face sorrowful as he looked at me. ‘I’ve watched over you your whole life. Yet now, when I thought you were finally safe’ —he shook his head— ‘one of my own endangered you; someone I trusted. I’m so sorry.’
‘Papa, you did everything possible.’
He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. ‘We’ll talk later.’ His gaze drifted to the still figure of Jean-Philippe. ‘I’ll go see my son now.’
Alec and I watched as he rose and walked over to where Jean-Philippe lay face down on the pearl-grey tiles, the jagged piece of wood sticking out of his back.
Terens squeezed Alec’s shoulder. ‘You gave me one hell of a scare! And Laura, pet, I’m so sorry we didn’t get her sooner.’
‘You came in time.’ I wouldn’t let myself dwell on anything else.
He nodded and went to join Luc.
‘Good to see you alive, my brother,’ Cal said. He turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. ‘Laura, angel, are you all right?’
‘I suppose.’
He tapped my shoulder in a gesture of comfort and then with a deep sigh he too, rose and went to Luc, who knelt by his dead son’s body.
I shivered at what Jean-Philippe had nearly done to me and it would be a long time before I would be able to say his name again without shuddering.
‘Take him back to my estate,’ Luc said.
He stood up as Jake and Cal carefully wrapped Jean-Philippe’s body in the floor rug that lay nearby. Hoisting it carefully over his shoulder, he rose and strode over to the elevator. The other three wordlessly followed. The elevator doors opened and closed after them.
Alec and I were alone again, with a broken window and a wrecked penthouse.
‘He nearly killed you,’ I said in a hoarse whisper.
‘Nearly, sweetheart. But it appears your blood is far more potent than any of us knew. That piece of wood went straight through my heart. I should be dead.’
‘I tried to pull it out.’ I shuddered at the recent memory and ran my arms around his neck.
‘Seeing the terror on your face was enough to give me the strength to rip the thing out of me.’
I pulled out of his embrace and ran my trembling hands over his smooth, muscled chest. The gaping wound had sealed up. There wasn’t even a scar. Not much blood either; his T-shirt must have absorbed most of it.
I placed my lips over his heart and kissed the spot where the stake had been rammed. My eyes caught the glint of light on the gold crucifix round his neck. I lightly touched it. ‘I prayed.’
‘It was answered.’ Alec kissed me then folded me securely in his arms once again. ‘I was helpless and you had to fight him on your own.’ Anger tinged his voice. ‘I heard every word. The rage I felt and then the fear at what he was doing to you…’ His teeth gritted and his breathing increased. I placed my hand soothingly on his chest. Alec’s jaw clenched as he looked at my ripped clothes. ‘No one undresses you but me,’ he said and pulled closed the torn remnants of my dress.
I nestled back into his embrace. It was the best place in the world even though we were sitting on the floor surrounded by the remains of his ruined apartment.
‘You’ll need a new dining suite,’ I said.
Alec’s body shook with laughter. ‘As if I care! You’re all that matters to me. I’d happily have the whole damn place wrecked if it meant having you safe in my arms—where you belong.’
He knew just the right thing to say. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift on a cloud of bliss as every one of my senses savoured him—his scent, the strength of his arms around me, his soft breathing, the feel of his skin beneath my cheek, the delicious taste of his kiss. We’d both nearly been murdered and I was sure the shock would hit me soon.
The intercom buzzed. Alec frowned. I didn’t want him to let go of me. ‘No, don’t answer it.’
It buzzed again and I clung to him. ‘It’s all right.’ He kissed my forehead, scooped me up and walked over to answer it. ‘Yes?’
‘Anyone ordered pizza?’
Chapter 48
Aftermath
LAURA
I woke up in Alec’s bed. We were in the loft and he lay next to me wearing only his jeans. My head rested on his bare chest and my hand on the rippling mass of muscles that was his stomach. His arm cradled my shoulder while the other drew circles on the back of my hand.
Strong daylight stole into the room from the living area. It brought into sharp focus the built-in wardrobe and the rumpled dark navy, paisley bed sheet under which I’d lain.
‘Is it morning already?’ I asked.
‘Afternoon.’
‘I slept that long?’ I didn’t know what time I finally fell asleep, but sometime after I ate. Alec had the pizza guy place the box in the elevator and then persuaded me to eat at least a one slice. It would help with the shock, he said, after which he carried me up to his bed and held me till I fell asleep. ‘Thank you for not leaving me alone.’
‘As if I would.’ He paused. ‘You screamed and thrashed about. At one point you wept.’
> I sat up and looked at him, aware I was still in my torn clothes from last night. ‘The whole time?’
‘No. Intermittently.’ He brushed the hair off my shoulder. ‘You were traumatized. I would’ve been surprised if you didn’t have nightmares. That’s why I didn’t leave you—even for a second.’ His gaze swept over my face and neck and his expression darkened.
‘You didn’t sleep at all?’
He shook his head. ‘Don’t really need it. Your blood.’
‘How long?’
He raised a questioning eyebrow.
‘The nightmares, Alec. How long will I have them?’
He sat up, took my hands in his, glanced down at the bruises on my wrists and frowned again. ‘Don’t know. Everyone’s different. Your mind’s trying to cope with what you experienced and it’s going to take time, darling. But I’m going to do my utmost to help replace the frightening memories with joyful ones.’
‘You have my permission to do that.’ I smiled at him.
He leaned in and tenderly kissed my forehead, the hollow of my throat, then my neck and jaw. ‘Does it hurt?’
‘What?’
‘You’re face and neck are bruised and there’s a nasty graze on your forehead.’
I remembered the way Jean-Philippe roughly grabbed me and I instinctively ran my fingers over my face. It didn’t really feel sore, just a little tender. ‘No, it doesn’t hurt.’ I wanted to erase that memory forever; it only made me shiver.
Alec pulled me back into his arms. I felt a tremor run through him. I wasn’t the only one affected by last night’s events. We’d fought for our lives and Alec had been forced to kill a friend—someone he’d known as a brother for longer than I’d been alive. Neither of us had come through this unscathed. It would haunt him for a long time.
I reached up and cupped his cheek. ‘How are you? You saved my life and lost a friend.’
He stared down at me before drawing a deep breath. ‘He stopped being my friend the day he saw me as a rival. It seems kissing you during the Ritual earned me a few enemies. But I don’t regret it—not for one moment.’ He looked lovingly at me, dipped his head and kissed me lightly mindful of my injured mouth. He lay back down taking me with him.
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