The two of them burst out laughing, and he took her head in his hands and kissed her passionately. Desire stirred swiftly as his mouth explored hers, and he held her against his hardening body.
“The dreams were nice,” he murmured against her lips as he pulled the zipper of her catsuit down. “But it doesn’t hold a candle to the real deal.” He kissed the corner of her mouth before pulling back abruptly and giving her a funny look. “Were you really celibate until last night?”
Olivia arched one eyebrow as she made quick work of pulling his shirt over his head and undoing the fly of his pants.
“You bet your fangs, I was.” His manhood sprang free, and the weight in her hand made her wet. “And I plan on making up for lost time in a big way,” she said as she ran her hand up and down the hard length of him.
Olivia dropped to her knees. She looked at him as she cupped his balls and licked the head of his penis in slow, deliberate strokes. Doug groaned and threw his head back as she worked him in her hand and ran her tongue up and down this cock. He tangled his fingers in her hair, guiding her as his hips pumped faster, and she took him deeper.
“Stand up,” he growled.
Doug pulled her to her feet, spun her around, and yanked her catsuit down over her shoulders. Olivia, eager to feel his skin against hers, rid herself of the offending garment, pushing it past her hips. Knowing what they both wanted, she bent forward, leaned both hands on the wall, and offered herself to him. She glanced over her shoulder and bared her fangs.
“Fuck me,” she rasped.
He curled one arm around her and drove his shaft deep inside. Doug placed one hand over hers, tangling their fingers together as he rocked his hips, spearing into her time and again.
“More,” she whispered. “Harder. God, please don’t stop.”
He gave in to her commands and pumped into her willing body rapidly, but still it wasn’t enough. Fingers linked. Bodies locked. She arched her back as he buried himself deep, and when the sweet, torture of the orgasm crested, she brought his arm to her mouth, sinking her fangs into his wrist. Doug swore as she pierced his flesh, and when the orgasm exploded, he leaned down and drove his fangs into the soft skin along the back of her neck.
The simultaneous orgasm and blood exchange was the most erotic, carnal experience of Olivia’s life, and on a flash of light, Doug’s voice touched her mind on a whisper. Eternity.
Both their hearts began to beat.
Bodies linked, limbs intertwined, blood flowing, their hearts actually beat, and in that blinding, brief moment Olivia and Doug were alive.
She thought this part of last night’s experience was a fluke, a one-time phenomenon because of her lengthy stretch of celibacy. However, as the tiny aftershocks rippled through them and their shaking bodies, Olivia knew it was more than a fluke. Whatever was happening between them was related to being bloodmates. As their hearts finally slowed to a stop and lay silent once again, Olivia wondered what other surprises lay ahead.
Doug slipped from her body, and she spun in his embrace, linking her arms around his neck and nuzzling him contentedly. She knew she had to tell him the rest. She had to confess that they were bloodmates, but not now. Now she wanted to enjoy the little peace they had found.
“We should get dressed.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and pulled her catsuit on for the second time. “It’s almost sundown, and we still have to find the rogues’ nest.”
“Okay,” he said as he put his shirt on. Doug nodded toward the bed. “At least we don’t have to change the sheets,” he said with a wink. “So. Let me make sure I’ve got all this shit straight. As I now know better than anyone, there are vampires, and Pete said something about being married to a shapeshifter, right?”
“Yes.” Olivia nodded. “His wife, Marianna, is an Amoveo. They’re shapeshifters.”
“Got it.” He secured his ammo belt and weapon before pulling on his gloves. “And, apparently, there is such a thing as reincarnation. Any other mind-fucks that you want to drop? For example, why did my turn take only twelve hours instead of two days? Why do you and I dream when vampires aren’t supposed to dream, and why have I slipped into this life seamlessly, when I should’ve had a fucking mental breakdown? And why the hell do our hearts start to beat when we drink from each other while we’re… y’know?”
“Not sure, it’s probably nothing,” she said in a tone that didn’t convince her any more than it convinced him.
Doug nodded and pursed his lips as he watched her take stock of the ammo she had left. She squirmed under his inspection but stood straight and steeled her resolve. She met his challenging gaze and gestured to the door. He knew she was holding back. Damn it.
“You know, I may not be an expert at relationships, but I know when a woman says nothing, it’s a whole lotta something.”
She met his challenging gaze and blurted it out. “We’re bloodmates.”
“Okay.” Doug shrugged and looked puzzled. “What’s that?”
Olivia burst out laughing. She belly-laughed until her stomach ached and tears streamed down her face. All this time she was terrified to utter the term bloodmates, scared that he would be furious with all it could imply, and the guy didn’t even know what it meant. Olivia swiped at her eyes but stopped laughing when she saw his irritated look.
“I’m sorry,” she said through fading laughter. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at my own foolishness. I was so scared to tell you that we’re bloodmates—at least I think we are—that it never dawned on me that you wouldn’t know what it meant.”
“Why would I be angry?” He put his hands on his hips and inched closer. “Olivia?”
“It’s a legend really. At least I thought it was until I found you. According to the legend, some vampires have bloodmates. If these mates find each other and bond with a blood exchange, then they become daywalkers.” She watched his reaction carefully, but his expression didn’t waver. He was pure concentration. “Vampires that can walk in the sun.”
“Okay.” Doug nodded slowly and ran a hand over the top of his head as he looked at her sideways. “That actually sounds pretty good. Why did you think I’d be upset? It’s not like you pick bloodmates, right? I mean, it sounds like destiny or fate.”
“The only bloodmate couple I ever heard of were targeted for termination by a sentry on orders from the Presidium. It makes sense, I guess. Vampires that can daywalk would threaten the Presidium’s power. But…”
Olivia lowered her gaze and tugged her gloves on tighter. Doug took her face in his hands and forced her to look him in the eye. Her lower lip quivered, but she clenched her jaw, refusing to cry like some silly girl.
“I was afraid you would think I turned you so that I could bond with you and be a daywalker, not to mention that if anyone finds out, we would likely have a death sentence on our heads.”
Now Doug was the one who started laughing as he pulled her into a loving embrace. He squeezed her tightly before pulling back to look her in the eye.
“Haven’t you heard anything that I’ve said? I love you, Olivia, and from the looks of things, I always have. Human. Vampire. Daywalker or not. I love you, and as far as this whole bloodmate legend goes, it sounds pretty good.” A lopsided grin cracked his handsome face. “I guess this means you’re stuck with me and my over protective, chauvinistic ass.”
He kissed her passionately and smacked her derriere as he released her.
“I’m still not sure about this, you know. I mean the daywalking part,” Olivia said plainly. “Like I said, I thought it was a fairy tale for vampires. I never thought it was real. So don’t plan any tropical vacations any time soon, okay?”
“Daywalking would be a bonus.” He tugged on a springy curl and released it. “Getting you is the best part, and I’ll take you any way I can get you.”
“Good,” she said firmly. “Let’s get going. W
e only have until the next sunrise before Augustus kills my coven off.” Olivia’s voice dropped to just above a whisper. “Then again, if we finish our job, this won’t end well for you, will it?”
They hadn’t spoken about his self-imposed death sentence since they left the Presidium’s offices, and she wondered if he had forgotten his offer. The resolute look in his eye told her he knew exactly what he had done.
“I’m not going to watch you die again,” she said tightly. Olivia brushed past Doug and pushed the button, opening the heavy steel door. Before she could leave, he curled his hand around her arm and turned her toward him.
“It’s going to be okay.” His lips brushed her temple, and his voice surrounded her like a blanket as he hugged her. “Maya will be fine, and so will I. We’ll figure it out together, but you have to trust me.”
Olivia pulled back and gave him a sidelong glance as she stepped through the door. “It’s time to hunt.”
* * *
Chapter 14
When the sun went down, Doug’s blood hummed and vibrated with the power of the night. He felt an ungodly strength when he was first turned, but something had changed after he and Olivia made love. The power surging through him now was nothing short of extraordinary. It was as though they were bolstering each other’s strength.
When they finally reached the street, the sights and sounds of the city almost overwhelmed his senses, and it took a moment to acclimate to the onslaught. They walked side by side up Bleecker Street, and he marveled at Olivia’s focus. She may have been looking straight ahead, but he could tell she was taking in several blocks with the sonar senses of a vampire. She was a far cry from the frightened young girl he saw in the dreamscape the previous night, and it was no wonder. She’d spent a good portion of the past three hundred years fighting, and from what he saw yesterday, she was damn good at it.
Lethal and beautiful were the two words that came to mind every time he looked at her. She could put a vamp down in a matter of seconds with her sharpshooting skills and her aim with the ninja stars, but she didn’t need that to slay him. All she had to do was look at him, and he was a goner. Gone, baby, gone.
He hated to interrupt her concentration, but hunger gnawed at him, and when they passed a traditional NYC hot dog cart, his stomach growled loudly.
“Holy shit, that smells great.” He lingered for a minute by the hot dog cart before Olivia took his arm and pulled him away. She was giggling and shaking her head. “What are you laughing at, Liv?”
“It’s not the hot dogs that you smell,” she said evenly.
“Yes, it was, I—” Doug glanced back at the man working the cart and then back to Olivia’s smiling green eyes. “It was the guy, wasn’t it?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She smothered another laugh. “I’m sorry, but the look on your face is priceless.”
“Well, whatever. I’m hungry. So whether it’s hot dogs or the hot dog man, I gotta eat, Liv.”
“I like that.” Olivia smiled and elbowed him playfully as they continued along the busy sidewalk. “Liv,” she said when she saw his look of confusion. “I like it when you call me, Liv.”
“Good, because it suits you.” Doug wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him as they continued on their way through the Village. “So what’s for dinner, Liv?”
She turned down a quiet side street with several apartment buildings and only a few storefronts. “There’s a massage parlor up here that’s run by a friend of mine, and he’ll have something. I don’t advise live feeds, and Jerry has a fridge with emergency supplies for friends like me. We have to feed again before we hunt.”
“Not that I’m looking to feed on people,” he said quietly. “I’m not, but why don’t you want me doing live feeds?”
“Blood memories,” Olivia said as they stepped up to the small storefront with the blue neon lettering that read: Jerry’s Massage Shack. “Anyway, Jerry will not only have food for us but, hopefully some information as well. He’s my version of an informant. He’s hooked into everything in this city and hears about all the shady shit that goes on in the vamp world. If anyone has gotten wind of who’s turning these rogues, it’s him. I tried to touch base with him the other night, but he wasn’t around. Hopefully he’s here tonight. Anyway—” She sighed wearily. “No live feeds, no blood memories.”
They stood for a moment on the sidewalk, and he took stock of the lighter pedestrian traffic on this side street. If he and Olivia were walking the streets like regular folk, then he presumed the rogues would do the same.
“What, dare I ask, are blood memories?”
Her features hardened, making her look older than she ever had. Her brilliant green eyes, rimmed with sadness, looked at him intently.
“When we feed on a living person, it’s a direct line into their memories. Their blood and their memories become a part of us—forever.” She frowned, and her voice quivered. “We can’t pick and choose what we get, and believe me, there are some memories you simply do not want.”
“Is that how you knew about my relationship with Miranda?” he asked.
“Yes.” She stuffed her hands in her coat pockets. “That and more. Your memories only confirmed my suspicions about you and what a good man you are.” She paused, and he could tell she was carefully choosing her words. “I saw how much you loved Tom. I felt your love for him, and I know he was like the father you never had. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t save him.”
Doug’s throat thickened with emotion.
“You’re right,” he said gruffly. “I did blame you at first, and I was furious you saved me but not Tom, and turned me into a monster.”
Olivia said nothing as she listened to him intently.
“Over the past twenty-four hours I’ve been reminded that being a monster is a choice, Liv. During my ten years working homicide, I saw humans make the choice to hurt, destroy, and kill every single day. They chose to be monsters and vampires are no different. Some of them, like you, Pete, and the girls at the club, rise above your basest instincts to embrace kindness, family, and friendship. Then there are guys like Augustus and whoever is making these rogues. Human or vampire, there will always be those who revel in destruction, choosing to be monsters.”
“Thank you.” Olivia’s mouth lifted, and her eyes crinkled at the corners briefly, but sadness still lingered. “We do have monsters inside of us, Doug. Make no mistake about that, but the best way to keep it at bay is to avoid live feeds. They’re like a drug—a high. The more you do it, the more you’ll want it, and the harder it is to stop. Believe me.”
She tugged open the door to the massage parlor, and he followed her inside. Her words haunted him. We do have monsters inside of us. He shuddered and lifted the collar of his coat, a human gesture he might have done if a cold wind blew against his neck. It wasn’t the wind he was trying to shield himself from, but the truth. What if he couldn’t keep the monster inside under control?
They sat in the rickety wood and wicker chairs of the gaudy waiting room, and Doug did his usual scan of his surroundings, trying to keep his mind off the nagging hunger. The walls were red velvet, and the rug was royal blue shag, reminiscent of the mid-seventies, but somehow it looked brand-new. Olivia spoke to the pretty girl at the desk, and Doug could tell by her scent that she was a vampire.
“So.” He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “How do you know this guy?”
“He ran a brothel in Vegas when I was a sentry there.” She shrugged. “He relocated here about thirty years ago, and he’s running the same game.”
A shriek interrupted the awkward quiet of the waiting room, and Doug looked up to see an older, diminutive Japanese gentleman wearing a black and gold kimono and a wide grin scurry out through the curtain of beads, which undoubtedly led to the massage rooms. This had to be Jerry.
“Olivia, my friend.” He swept over to them, his bald head
glistening under the fluorescent lights, and when he opened his arms to hug Olivia, Doug noticed that his pinky nails were long and pointed.
“Hello, Jerry,” she said as he released her. “This is my friend, Doug. He’s training to be a sentry.”
Doug shot a confused look to Olivia, and although he tried to recover quickly, old Jerry didn’t miss a trick. She should have warned Doug what cover she was going to use. Jerry looked Doug up and down with an appraising eye, and his grin widened as he stuck his hand out.
“Nice to meet you.” Doug shook his hand briefly and shifted his position protectively near Olivia.
“Right this way.” He crooked a finger to them and held open the curtain of beads. “I have just what the two of you need.”
Doug followed them through the small dark hallway lined with white doors on either side. When they reached the end of the hall, Jerry opened the last door on the right, and though Doug didn’t quite know what to expect, this wasn’t it. He thought it would be a small massage room, like many in the city, but this was more like a studio apartment.
The walls were painted with silver sparkly paint and a mirror above the leopard-print-covered bed. There was a zebra-skin rug in front of the white leather sofa, and the kitchenette along the back wall had white cabinets with door handles that looked like puckering lips.
“You like Jerry’s apartment?” he asked in a singsong voice as he shut the door securely behind them. He floated, literally floated, to the kitchenette, and the fridge opened without him even touching it.
“It’s—very you,” Doug said as politely as possible.
“It sure is, handsome.” Jerry pulled two containers from the fridge and put them in the microwave. “So, how long you been a sentry? I only hear about Pete and Shane.” He pursed his lips, and Doug could hear him tapping his long fingernail on the counter. “I never hear about you.”
“He’s new and beginning his training. He’s not a sentry yet, but I see potential.” Olivia crossed her arms over her breasts and leveled a serious gaze at Jerry. “Now… what can you tell me about the rogue coven?”
Tall, Dark, and Vampire (Dead in the City) Page 21
