by Jessica Lee
They’d spent only three nights together, but it had been enough to know he’d never be the same. She was different, and it wasn’t just because of her DNA. And if dying meant Seth and Daniela wouldn’t get their hands on her…then so be it. Kenric’s daughter had to live.
“Eve,” he called out to her inside his mind. “I don’t know if you can hear me. You may be far away by now. Shit. I hope you are.”
A few moments of silence passed, and he hoped like hell she was gone.
“Guerin! Oh, thank God you’re alive!”
His heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice inside his head, but at the same time, panic seized him. “Yeah. I don’t go down that easy.”
“Don’t joke. I know you’re in trouble, and it’s my fault. But I’m going to make this right.”
“I don’t like the sound of that. And this is not your fault! Whatever you’re planning, stop it.”
“Too late, Lombardi.”
“I only reached out to make sure you didn’t do anything crazy like trying to track me. You can’t take that kind of risk. I’m not worth it. I’m sure I don’t have to explain what they’ll do to you if they get their hands on you.”
“Don’t you dare say you’re not worth it!” Even telepathically, Guerin could feel the anger in her voice. “There’s no way on this earth I’m going to let them torture you for another day.”
“You know…? You’ve felt it, haven’t you?” The words were a whisper inside his head.
Silence.
He groaned. “Shit! I’m so sorry that touched you. I tried like hell to keep it inside.” His chest ached, and not from his wounds. For her pain.
“There’s nothing you need to apologize for. My God, Seth can be brutal.”
Seth… If only they were just dealing with Seth. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, beautiful. Seth isn’t the only one hunting you.”
“Who is it, Guerin? It’s someone you know, isn’t it? Because it felt personal.”
Guerin closed his eyes. Damn, this female was perceptive. “Daniela is here. She and Seth have partnered to hunt you down.”
“I’ll kill her,” she said, her growl resonating across his neurons. “She’ll wish she’d never been born when I’m finished with her carcass.”
“Oh, no, beautiful. That pleasure will be all mine. That’s why you have to stay far away from me.”
“Don’t worry about me. I won’t be alone.”
“What do you mean? Who’s with you?” A streak of jealousy shot through his veins, shocking him with its intensity. Damn, he didn’t like the idea of her around other males.
“Kenric contacted me. They needed my help to find you, and I agreed.”
“You’re with them? That’s good. Don’t get me wrong; I’m happy you’ve connected with your father, but dammit! They should have left you out of this.”
“They didn’t have a choice. The Enclave’s clueless to the power plays in this area and to Seth’s long-running campaign to bring me in. It made sense that Kenric would reach out to me since they knew we’d fed from each other.”
It did make sense. But he didn’t like the idea of her coming anywhere near Seth and Daniela.
“Don’t come here, Eve. Please promise me you’ll keep your distance.”
“I can’t make that promise, and you know it. This is too personal. They took you because of me, and I can’t let that go.”
“Eve…” Fuck. “Dammit, Eve.”
“We’re coming for your ass whether you like it or not. So don’t you dare die on me, Lombardi. If you do, I’ll be so pissed off.”
How in the hell could she make him smile at a time like this, but damn if he didn’t feel his mouth curling. “And God help me, I don’t want to piss off Eve Devonshire.”
“No. You don’t.”
…
Guerin had contacted her.
Eve’s heart soared as she stared at the pinkening horizon off the suite’s balcony.
She’d been too afraid to reach out for fear of what state she’d find him in. And a part of her didn’t want to know if he would hate her for abandoning him. She wouldn’t have blamed him if he did. But it sounded as if that wasn’t the case, and it was too good to be true. Guerin had said he wasn’t worth the risk. He had it all wrong.
After Kenric shared his memories, he and Eve had come to an understanding. But there weren’t enough hours of darkness left for them to make a run on Keller’s estate. For the remainder of the night, she, Kenric, Emily, and Arran had discussed Seth, the reason behind Guerin’s kidnapping, and their plan for getting him back. Eve was sure she could track Guerin from his blood. But she’d never been inside the walls of Seth’s home, so she wasn’t much help regarding what to expect once they were there.
They would stand a better chance if they hit the place during the morning or late afternoon. Then they would have only the colony’s human minions to battle. Eve could handle it during those hours. But that wasn’t a possibility for the rest of the team. Kenric being the eldest would be able to tolerate a small amount of early-morning sunlight. Yet after a short period of time even he would begin to sizzle.
So they’d settled on sundown tonight to load up, survey the property for any weakness, and hit them hard and fast. With the power of a master vampire, Eve’s additional talents, Arran’s strength and fighting skill, and Emily’s ability to tap into her mate’s arsenal—they had a chance.
Odds were, Kenric was still awake. Eve had to let him know Guerin had contacted her, and he was still alive. She stepped back inside and slid the glass door shut with a click. Her father and his mate’s room in the sprawling suite was off to the left of the living space. Eve made a beeline for their door but before she could knock, hushed voices brought her to a halt.
“There’s no way I’m letting you go with us tonight.” Kenric’s voice.
“Letting me…? Since when has that ever worked with me?”
“You can’t expect me to put you in that kind of danger. You’re my mate!”
“Funny you should remember that now and not when you learned about Eve,” Emily snapped in return. Their voices were low, but the hurt and angry tones carried, despite that fact.
“You know why I couldn’t tell you. We’ve been through this.”
“I know,” she said. “But it’s all fresh to me, and I’m still working through it. How is it even possible this happened?”
Eve clutched her neck. The raw pain in Emily’s voice threatened to steal her ability to breathe.
“That’s how I felt when Arran told me,” Kenric said. “I had to work through it. See for myself if she was even real before I brought her into your world. Damn,” he groaned. “I didn’t know how I was supposed to tell the woman who was the other half of my soul that I’d given a child to the sadistic female who’d raped me and attempted to kill her.” A heavy sigh sounded from the other side of the wood. “Based on everything I’ve learned over the centuries, we’ll never know the joy of our own little one. And ultimately, because of Marguerite, you’ll never feel a life growing in your womb. Yet my seed somehow placed one in hers. I don’t even know how it happened. How was I supposed to ask you to accept it?”
Kenric’s words drove into her gut like a fist. Eve staggered away from the door. Holding an arm to her abdomen, she rushed toward the patio door. She needed to feel the breeze on her face. Clear her head. She slid back the metal and glass along its track and raced for the railing.
With her fist white-knuckling the metal, Eve released the flood of tears she’d been fighting. No matter how eloquent and compassionate his words had been to Eve earlier, it was clear, her presence cut him to the quick. She was a painful reminder of the past to them both and of what they could never have. Just as Eve had suspected.
Eve didn’t “fit” anywhere. She didn’t quite belong in the human world, nor was she well suited for the vampire realm. And she certainly wasn’t what Kenric and Emily needed glaring across from them at the dinner tab
le. Then there was Guerin… A dull pain prodded her breastbone, and she closed her eyes. Wasn’t it exactly the same for him? God, she was making herself sick wallowing in her pity party. She wasn’t about to stand there and feel sorry for herself. That wasn’t her MO. Dammit. She was stronger than that. And after what her father and Emily had suffered at the hands of her mother, didn’t they deserve a better future?
Turning, Eve stared at the empty living room, the sun’s rays splicing around her head and bouncing off the glass. Her next step was obvious. She had to be the one to stop the cycle of abuse.
It was the right thing to do.
Eve straightened, wiped her cheeks, and sniffed. As usual, tears never helped. They only clogged her nose.
Chapter Nineteen
Crash!
Bang! The sound of something hard slamming onto the floorboards above Guerin’s head jarred him from his unconscious state.
“What the hell?” Guerin turned his gaze to the stairwell across the room. At least after his last round with Daniela, they’d left the spotlight turned off, and he could see who came and went. Another loud crack echoed inside the dungeon followed by what had to be shattering glass.
The Enclave.
Kenric, Arran, and Eve had finally found him.
A loud clatter echoed from the top of the stairs, then the heavy thud of boots pounded off the wooden treads. At the bottom, Seth turned the corner along with three others trailing behind him.
“Look who decided to pay us a visit, Guerin.” Seth stepped aside, revealing Eve’s bruised body held by two of his vampire minions. Oh, fuck! Guerin jerked and pushed himself a little taller. Where was the rest of the Enclave?
Eve’s gaze fell on Guerin, and her eyes widened. Yeah. Based on the lingering ache in his body, and since he’d lost the feeling beyond his wrists, he couldn’t be a pretty picture. Hunger gnawed at the lining of his gut and his veins burned. His body was unable to heal at its normal pace due to the lack of blood.
“You have me,” Eve spat. “Now let him go!”
“My, aren’t you the bossy one,” Seth replied.
“We had a deal.” She swung her head in Seth’s direction, dark strands of her hair clinging to her cheeks. “I surrender, and you release him.”
“Eve! What are you doing?” Hell no! This couldn’t be happening. What was left of his adrenaline reserves coursed through his veins, making his head pound and the room sway.
“That’s true,” Seth replied. “I did agree to your deal.”
“But I didn’t,” Daniela’s voice filled the room.
Eve stiffened, and even though Guerin was still a few feet away, he hadn’t missed the flash of fire inside her irises.
Daniela glided from the foot of the staircase and over to the minions holding Eve. “You made quite an entrance, hybrid.” She palmed the back of Eve’s head. “I imagine Seth is going to want a little payback for the loss of a few of his treasures.”
“Whatever.” Eve tossed her hair over her shoulder. “As long as he keeps his end of the bargain and lets Guerino walk out of here.”
“But my dear…” Daniela circled them, stopping in front of Eve. “We finally have a party. Why would I want to let him go when the fun has just begun?”
“No!” Eve cried and yanked against her captor’s hold.
Oh, shit! What was she thinking, coming here on her own? Guerin watched as Eve closed her eyes and a vibration rippled through the air. A blur of color flashed across the open space and the cool steel of a blade was at his neck.
“You stop whatever it is you’re up to this second, Eve, or I swear your lover will be minus his head.” Daniela pressed the serrated edge into his flesh. The stinging nick followed by the warm trickle onto his chest meant she drew blood for effect.
And it worked.
Eve’s eyelids popped open, and the trail of fire across his skin ceased.
“That’s better,” Daniela crooned. She lowered the dagger and returned to Seth and the others. Guerin tightened his fist. Being chained for Daniela’s and Seth’s entertainment was one form of hell, but having to stand there while the bastards fucked with Eve was beyond fire and brimstones. Guerin would rip his wrists free from his arms if they hurt her.
“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” Daniela said, closing in on Eve. “I’m Daniela De Santis, but I have a feeling you may have heard of me already.” She glanced over her shoulder at Guerin. “Guerin and I go way back. I’m sure he told you I was his sire, yes?”
“Something like that,” Eve muttered.
“I thought he might have.” Daniela pivoted, her stiletto heels clicking off the concrete floor. She’d dressed in her best Dominatrix attire, including black leather pants and a red corset that barely contained her breasts. Her blond curls were pulled back, and they hung down her back almost to her rear. So very different from her look more than two centuries ago. But a lot had changed since then, and not just in her choice of clothing.
“You see,” Daniela went on to say, “while Guerin has been our guest, he’s done his best to try to convince us that you two were nothing more than a fuck.”
“Why would you think otherwise?” Eve shrugged. “I ask for his release because there’s no reason for him to hang around. He serves no purpose.”
“I see,” Daniela said and nodded. “But I’m not done with him yet.” She whirled around and called out for additional forces. Two more males hustled down the steps, both looking as if they’d recently taken a few blows to the face. Guerin had to suppress his grin at what had to be Eve’s handiwork.
“What are you planning to do with him?” Eve tugged on the beefy hold of Seth’s minions.
“Why do you care, dear?” Daniela turned her attention to the new arrivals, then pointed at Guerin. “Put him in the cage.”
Dammit! He couldn’t allow them to lock him up behind silver bars. He didn’t give a shit about the ramifications to his body, but if he attempted to escape he would come apart in pieces. He would never be able to save Eve.
Daniela knew this.
Out of the corner of his eye, Guerin caught sight of a minion ripping away the dark material covering the tall rectangle of bars. With gloved hands, the male wheeled it closer.
“Daniela,” Guerin hissed.
The blond female swung her gaze to his.
“Don’t do this. Whatever you’re planning…don’t go there.” He would destroy her if she hurt Eve. Before he took his last breath, he would make her pay.
Two of the vampires unhooked Guerin from the wall, leaving the shackles in place around his wrists and ankles. Gravity forced his arms to his sides despite his joints rebelling. The change in position lit up his nerve endings. His muscles cramped, bowing his back. Guerin gritted his teeth as the males dragged him forward. Which is exactly what they had to do—drag him. Because no matter what he told his legs, his knees refused to keep him upright.
They tossed him on the paneled floor of the containment box and sealed the door. The cage was narrow, tall enough for him stand, but not wide enough to stretch his arms out to full length. As a result, the combined effect of the metal hit him like a Mack truck on a downhill slope, sucking away what was left of his energy reserves. His flesh sizzled as if the bastards had dumped him on top of a mound of fire ants. Guerin closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. He had to take his mind to a happy place. Focus.
Think.
He couldn’t lose it now. Somehow he had to get them both out of this.
“Place her on the table,” Daniela commanded. “Cover her with the mesh.”
No, no, no!
“Eve!” he called out.
“Worry about yourself, Lombardi,” Eve snapped. Daniela chuckled. He watched as they positioned Eve on her back, her upper body facing Guerin, and draped the silver netting over her midsection and upper legs. Eve had somehow blocked their connection in an attempt to save him from experiencing her misery, but the look on her face spoke of agony. Yet she didn’t
make a sound. Daniela might as well have reached inside and clawed his heart from his chest. Because he wouldn’t have known the difference based on what was happening behind his breastbone.
Daniela hovered over Eve’s form. “You be a good girl now,” Daniela said. “Whether or not Guerin’s head remains on his shoulders is up to you.”
She struck.
And the blow resonated through Guerin as if Daniela had targeted him instead of Eve.
Eve arched and her mouth fell open in a silent cry as Daniela sank her fangs into her neck.
“Let her go!” Guerin forced himself to his feet and slammed into the bars, his flesh searing under the contact with the toxic metal. “Damn you, Daniela!” he cried out, his voice hoarse. “Eve! Fuck!” He rammed into the door once more with his shoulder, jarring the hinges, but the lock didn’t budge. “Daniela, don’t do this! I swear I’m going to rip you apart with my bare hands.”
Laughter rolled from Seth, who stood watching from his spot in the dungeon, making sure he had a good spot to observe Guerin’s reaction to Daniela’s attack.
His former Mistress reared back, blood forming a macabre trail down her chin. She turned toward her partner in crime and Seth sped to her side. Guerin fought back the taste of his bile as Keller attentively cleaned the other female with his tongue.
“Fucking delicious,” Seth groaned, and Daniela sealed her lips over the other male’s for a brief kiss. “Thank you, Mistress,” he said breathlessly.
…
Eve watched as the vampires standing over her savored the taste of her essence. In the distance, Guerin snarled, the sound ricocheting off the stone walls of the dungeon. He was enraged, and had thrown himself repeatedly into the silver bars. Each time, he tore another piece of her heart away.
This was not how she’d planned for this to go down. Guerin was supposed to be gone. Giving herself over to Seth was supposed to save him, Kenric, Arran, and Emily from any further harm.
“I thought you’d enjoy a taste,” Daniela crooned at Seth. “What an exotic flavor.” She licked her lips.
“You win,” Eve declared, snagging Daniela’s attention. The elder female’s brows lifted. “You succeeded in getting under Guerin’s skin again. So let him go now. You’ve got me. I’m not going anywhere. Why do you still need him?”
