“I wish I had your confidence,” she said as she rested her cheek against his chest. “I can still feel him. His blood. It’s like…he’s still inside me.”
In that moment, Nic swore he would rip Luigi apart if given half a chance. The stronzo would pay for the pain he caused Evangeline. “Soon you will feel only me. My blood. Our bond. Do not worry. We survived, and we are together. Nothing else matters.”
A deep-seated fear pushed against his mind. Not his, but Evangeline’s. Despite the reassurance he took from sensing her emotions in some small way, he worried there was more she had not yet shared. Or that what she’d survived would somehow drive the two of them apart.
A soft knock at the door startled Evangeline awake, and she yelped as Nic’s arms tightened around her. “Only Sylvie,” he said as he sat up and groaned. “Merda. I need a proper night of sleep.”
“And maybe a day or two where no one’s trying to kill us.”
Sylvie cracked the door. “I made breakfast. Philipe is awake, and we have an idea where the two of you were being held.”
“We will be right there.” Nic helped Evangeline to her feet and steadied her when her knees threatened to give out. “How do you feel?”
“Hollow. And like the whole world’s tilting.” She rubbed her eyes, the after-effects of the drugs leaving her off-balance and unsure of every step. Though she’d nodded off for a few minutes at a time, whenever she closed her eyes, she heard Luigi taunting her, felt his fangs pierce her neck, and choked on his blood.
Nic angled the bedside lamp so the light hit her face. “I did not think to check for a concussion,” he said, regret dulling his tone. “You hit your head when they took you.”
She didn’t bother telling him Luigi had slammed her entire body into the wall more than once during the hours he’d tortured her. That even though she healed quickly, even though she’d had Nic’s blood, her entire body ached, and she didn’t think she could stay upright for more than a few minutes at a time. Had her mother done something to her? Or was Luigi’s blood still making her sick?
Forcing a smile, she took a tentative step back. “I’m okay, Nic. Really. We should go see what Sylvie found. And tell her…about me.”
“You are far from okay,” he muttered.
Still favoring her left leg, she limped awkwardly out into the main room of the apartment. Or were they in a house? She didn’t even know. They could be anywhere. She’d been so out of it when she’d escaped.
Nic slipped an arm around her waist, and she tried not to pull away. Even though she ached for his touch, she couldn’t shake the worry that if she changed any more than she already had, their differences would be too much for them to bear.
37
Evangeline took careful, measured steps, as if she’d shatter if she moved too quickly. Unable to temper his concern, Nic kept his arm around her waist as he guided her to one of the two couches that sat facing one another across a low table.
When they’d arrived, he’d barely noticed the room, but now, he scanned the space, sighting the door, the windows with shades drawn tight, and the large, flatscreen television showing security feeds all around the apartment building. Sylvie’s laptop sat open on the opposite sofa, and she’d laid out a small feast of frittata, fresh fruit, and various pastries.
“You keep your safe houses very well stocked,” Nic said, raising a brow as he eased Evangeline down onto one of the sofas.
“Hardly. Once Bayard came to relieve me, I went shopping. E? That bag outside your room has some clothes for you.” Sylvie carried five cups of coffee on a tray and set them in the middle of the table.
Nic caught movement in his periphery and turned to see Philipe—his arm slung over Bayard’s shoulders, shuffling out to join them. “You look better, my friend.”
“Thanks to you and your life mate.” Philipe coughed weakly, his free hand pressing to his side. “I am all right,” he said as Bayard tensed.
“I cannot help it,” the bodyguard said quietly. “I still cannot believe you are real.”
When Philipe’s eyes focused on the food, his stomach rumbled, and he didn’t look away until Bayard fixed him a plate and set it on his lap. “I have not had a full meal in three years. Nor one that was not drugged”
Nic looked away, his memories of his time in Longo’s cage so close to the surface. Warm fingers twined with his, and a hint of Evangeline’s concern touched his mind.
“I am fine, cara.”
When only silence answered him, he swallowed over the lump in his throat. Dio, he missed the strength of their bond. Evangeline rubbed her mouth, uncertainty churning in her gaze.
“Are you all right?” Nic whispered close to her ear.
With a nod, she scooped up a small slice of frittata and a small bunch of grapes. “My teeth hurt,” she said under her breath.
Nic plucked a biscotti from a small white box. “Philipe, if you feel strong enough after you eat, I hope you will tell us what happened to you these past three years. But first, we must discuss—”
“These,” Evangeline said, curling her upper lip away from her teeth, revealing her small, delicate fangs. Her eyes glistened as she met Nic’s gaze. “They won’t go away.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sylvie, Bayard, and Philipe’s shock. Cupping Evangeline’s cheeks, he infused as much calm as he could into his tone. “Take a few deep breaths, cara. Focus your mind here.” Nic brushed his thumbs along her upper jaw. “Adrenaline, fear, and—” he lowered his voice, “—arousal will cause them to descend. You will learn to control them.”
A tear tumbled over his hand, and she shuddered. “Shit…that hurts.”
Sylvie scooted around the table to come sit next to Evangeline and took her hand. “What the hell happened, E?”
“My mother. She…did something to me when Luigi had me.” Her voice trembled at the elder vampire’s name, and Nic had visions of ripping the man’s head off. “I didn’t know…not until Nic fed.”
“Evangeline is not wearing her contacts,” Nic said. “That is her natural eye color.”
“Fuck me. Explain. Are you a vampire now?” Sylvie leaned closer and inhaled. “You still smell the same. Your blood, I mean. And Nic looks better. You fed him?”
“I am sated,” Nic said. In truth, he’d been so starved that he needed more of his life mate’s nourishing blood, but until she was stronger, he would not tell her. “I believe this is another stage of her evolution. Much like the immortality we share.”
“And your mum did this to you?” Sylvie shook her head. “Am I supposed to be angry or grateful?”
The question drew a weak laugh from Evangeline. “I don’t know.”
“Right, then. Easier question. How did this happen?”
Extracting her hand from Sylvie’s grip, she reached for her coffee cup. “Not much easier. I thought my mother died when I was born. But…a few hours after I woke up in that cell—” a bit of coffee sloshed over the rim of the mug and onto her shapeless gray pants, “—all of a sudden…my mother was there. And she looked just like the only photo of her I’ve ever seen. The same age. Thirty, maybe. But her eyes used to be like mine—or like mine used to be. Brown. Not anymore.”
“How the hell did your mom end up working for Luigi?” Sylvie asked.
“I don’t know.” Evangeline pressed closer to Nic, her voice shaking as she sought reassurance. “We had so little time. She wasn’t…allowed to stay with me long. And Luigi drugged me so I couldn’t fight back. I was so dizzy…”
Philipe set his plate down and took Bayard’s hand. “I did not know who the woman was before Evangeline was locked in the cell next to mine. I had never seen her, but I heard her often. She was kind. She was not working for Luigi of her own accord.”
“You are certain?” Nic asked. How could he trust Marie? Knowing the woman had turned his life mate into—what? Half vampire?
“Oui. Both because Luigi beat her severely when she tried to bring me food, and becau
se I watched her as she helped Evangeline.” Philipe stared at the floor as he continued. “Everything I was given to eat—food and blood—was drugged. I spent many of my days unable to discern the passage of time. Consumed by my hunger. He has a drug that will turn any vampire feral. We so rarely experience muscle deterioration, Nicola—you know this. But on this drug…I am half the size and strength I once was.”
Philipe’s sunken cheeks reddened. “He brought me a human on more than one occasion. After I was out of my mind. He would hold them outside the bars and watch me break bones, bleed, endure the pain of the silver for hours trying to reach them. Then…once he tired of his game, he would shove them into my cell. I…could not control myself.”
Bayard whispered reassurances in French, and Nic set down his coffee cup before he shattered the cheap ceramic mug.
“Marie—?” Philipe glanced at Evangeline, who nodded. “When Luigi learned of your escape, Nicola, he was very angry. I could not see much, but I heard him break Evangeline’s ribs before he fed from her. Marie stopped him before he could drain her completely. She injected him with something, and he passed out. That is when she helped me break the silver-infused chain that kept me secured to the wall and used Luigi as a shield to help us get past the guards.”
“What happened to her?” Evangeline asked, her voice barely audible. “I heard her scream. But I was too out of it.”
The frown that curved Philipe’s chapped lips spoke volumes. “I saw her bleeding on the ground. Beyond that…I do not know. Roman, the older guard, shot me no more than two or three steps later, and after that, I thought only of running and getting us to safety.”
Evangeline pressed her lips together and stared at her plate. “I don’t even know how she became a vampire. Henry…never talked about her.”
The need to protect his life mate overwhelmed every other emotion. With a deep sense of dread, he struggled to maintain an even tone. “Evangeline, we need to know everything that happened to you. I am sorry, cara, but tell us what you remember.”
If only she could forget everything that had happened to her. Evangeline didn’t want to relive the hours she’d spent as Luigi’s prisoner. Despite knowing it had been less than a day, it had felt like a week. Losing her bond with Nic was so much worse than the physical pain, even though she knew she’d never be able to get the sensation of the asshole’s fangs ripping into her skin out of her mind.
She reached for Nic’s hand, unsure she could do this. “There’s so much I don’t remember.”
“I can help,” Philipe said quietly. The French vampire wore the same haunted look she’d seen in her own eyes in the mirror, and his hand shook as he lifted a half-empty bottle of blood to his pale lips.
Bayard cupped his lover’s cheeks. “Are you certain you are up to this?”
“Oui. Evangeline is the reason I am free. Luigi took me from you, mon couer. He told me you were dead many times. Robbed me of my memories of you, for I thought you had died because of me. I will do anything I must to ensure he is stopped.”
In a gesture so tender, it brought tears to Evangeline’s eyes, Bayard touched his forehead to Philipe’s, then kissed him gently. “We will not be parted again.”
Sylvie cleared her throat. “E, what’s the first thing you remember after they drugged you?”
Swallowing hard and tightening her fingers on Nic’s, she tried to take herself back to the square. “I couldn’t move. But I remember the scent of exhaust. I think they put me in the trunk of a car. It had…government plates. I passed out after that. Then…I was cold.”
Nic shifted so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. But uncertainty flooded her, and she couldn’t relax into his embrace. Picking at several little balls of fuzz clinging to the fleece pants, she stared at her hands as she continued. “I was so dizzy. Even opening my eyes…I wanted to throw up.”
“Do you know what they gave you?” Nic asked.
“No. He said it would increase my blood volume. But that it also caused severe vertigo. And—” She could still feel the after-effects as the sweatshirt cuffs chafed her wrists. “He said every sensation would be magnified. That’s when he told me he was going to hurt me.”
Nic stiffened, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he swallowed a growl. Rage rolled off of him in waves so powerful, she could sense them even without their bond. “How?” he asked through clenched teeth.
As a tear spilled onto her cheek, she recounted Luigi’s promise to make her his blood slave and the ominous warning that unless she cooperated, he would make her life hell for the rest of eternity.
“But why?” Sylvie shook her head, popped up from her seat next to Evangeline, and started pacing. “I get why he’d want her blood. Bloody hell, I want her blood.” She held up her hand when Nic tensed. “If I was going to drink from her, I would have done it when she was too weak to fight back. And alone. Because not only am I a halfway decent person, you’d kill me before I took more than a taste. Which is what I don’t understand. Luigi’s taking a huge risk here. Why? I love filet mignon, but if the only way I could have it was by killing people and potentially risking my entire career, my legacy, and my life, I’d make due with hamburger.”
“Luigi thinks if he has me as his blood slave, he’ll live forever.” Evangeline frowned at Sylvie as her words sank in. “Did you just compare me to a hamburger?”
Sylvie snorted. “No. I compared you to the finest cut of steak in the world.”
The moment of levity faded when Evangeline met Philipe’s gaze. “That’s not all he believes,” she said. “He…he’s planning for a war. Whatever he was testing on Philipe…he said it would make his soldiers even more lethal. He wanted to find out what makes me—us—” she said as she looked back at Nic to see a muscle in his jaw ticking, “—immortal and then he was going to hand pick his army.”
“To what end?” Bayard asked.
“The unquestioned superiority of the vampire race,” Philipe answered. He took another sip of blood, shuddered, and set the bottle down. “But only vampires who align with him. Who will repeal all the protection orders Nicola and I—along with Vincenzo and Elisabetta—fought for. That is why he made me…disappear. We fought a few nights before it happened. He asked me to support a vote to allow direct feeding from humans. I refused.”
“What of the others?” Nic asked. “Did you see them when you were his prisoner?”
Brows drawing down, Philipe shook his head. “Others?”
“Vincenzo and Elisabetta. They are gone. Vincenzo in a car crash, Elisabetta…no one knows.” The edge to Nic’s tone worried Evangeline, and she rested her hand on his thigh.
“No. There were only two cells, and Evangeline was the only other I saw.”
Sylvie leaned against the wall next to the flat screen. “What about Antonio?”
“Antonio believes vampires are superior to humans in all ways. But he would never vote to repeal the law.” Philipe met Nic’s gaze. “What are you not telling me?”
“Luigi set Antonio up to take the fall for E’s disappearance,” Sylvie said. “So…he’s out. In hiding. If he shows his face in public, it’s over for him.”
“Merde,” Philipe whispered. “Then he’s done it. The rest…they will go along with him.”
Gently, Nic shifted Evangeline so they faced one another. Her stomach tied itself into a knot, and she chewed on her lower lip, wishing with everything she was that she could just disappear. Go somewhere no one—not even Nic—could ever find her.
“Cara, if Luigi repeals the law, I fear you will never be safe again.”
“Wh-what? Why not?” Evangeline scooted back, and her teeth started to ache. No. I am not fanging out every time I get scared. Unable to stop the sharp, small fangs from descending, she pushed up from the couch and stumbled into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
38
Evangeline stumbled two steps from the bed and sank to her knees. Despite Nic’s blood, she still felt dizzy and disoriented wheneve
r she stood up. Curling her legs up with her back against the small nightstand, she swiped her tongue over her teeth, trying to will her fangs away.
The deep ache spread from her upper jaw to her eyes, and she blinked hard against the tears that threatened. The sensation of her fangs sliding back into her jaw threatened to make her retch. But when she touched her teeth with shaking fingers, she felt only normal, human teeth.
“Mom,” she whispered, “what did you do to me?”
“Evangeline?” Nic knocked softly as he cracked the door open. “May I come in?”
She nodded, then dropped her head into her hands. “I’m sorry. That was…childish of me.”
“It was human of you. And thoughtless of me.” Nic knelt down next to her and brushed a knuckle along her cheekbone. “I am afraid for you. Despite the changes to your body, you are still human. You were born human. If the law does change, and there were no protections or prohibitions on feeding from humans, you would be at risk.”
“I know. But…don’t you think we should focus on stopping…him? And finding my mother?” Her voice cracked as she stared up at him. How could he not understand what she needed? He’d always known. Even before they’d bonded, he’d known. Until now.
Nic sat heavily, shock and shame playing over his strained features. “You are my world, Evangeline. My entire world. My only concern was—is—for you. I am sorry, but also…not. If I lose you, I will not survive.”
“You lived without me for more than eight hundred years—”
Nic slid his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her neck. “My heart would shatter.” He pressed his lips together for a moment, his eyes closing until he sighed. “Sylvie and Philipe are trying to find out where the two of you escaped the underground. If they can do that, we will go rescue your mother. I very much want to know how she managed to change you and whether your evolution is…permanent.”
Revelations in Blood Page 21
