by Tina Folsom
Pain seared through her flank. She dropped her gaze toward the floor and tried to focus her eyes amidst the blinding pain that wracked her body.
A knife. Covered in her blood.
It came toward her once more, ready to plunge into the same wound it had already caused, but the second hit didn’t come. Instead, the guard was jerked back.
Her legs buckled. “Luther,” she murmured and closed her eyes, trying to block out the pain.
22
Luther tightened the silver chain he’d snatched from a hook on the wall around the guard’s neck and jerked him away from Katie just in time. With his knee, he kicked his opponent in the back, making him not only lose his balance but also the bloody knife in his hand.
Instantly, Luther trained his eyes on Katie: a red bloodstain spread on the white dress shirt, soaking it just above her waist.
“Shit!”
He noticed her sway.
“Hold on, Katie!” he urged her, as he pulled his captive back toward the wall lined with steel conduits. He looped the ends of the silver chain around the thick metal rod and secured it, tying up his prisoner, while Patterson clawed at the chain to loosen it from his neck—to no avail. The silver bit into his skin, burning him, slowly eating away the upper layers.
Angry eyes stared at Luther.
“Don’t worry, you’ll survive.”
“Bastard!” the guard choked out. “I’m gonna get you for this!”
But Luther had already rushed to Katie, who was barely keeping herself upright. “Got you!” He grabbed her with one arm, lifted her off the floor and rounded the console.
“Gotta get out of here,” she murmured, sounding breathy.
“I’ll get you out,” he promised, while he scanned the computer console with his eyes, looking for the right button to operate the door to the outside.
Shit! They’d made some modifications to the original design. Well, it didn’t matter. He’d just have to improvise.
From the other side of the door, Luther heard sounds. Something breaking. Fuck! They’d managed to break down the door whose card reader Luther had trashed.
“In here!” Patterson screamed, alerting his colleagues. “He’s in here!”
Luther flipped two switches on the console, then hit a button. A buzzing sound came from the door to the outside.
With Katie in his arms, he ran toward it, snatched a semi-automatic gun from the rack on the wall and rushed through the opening door.
Before the door could close behind him, he spun around and emptied the entire clip into the center of the console, where the motherboard was located. Sparks flew and the computer hissed just as the other door to the control room burst open and guards rushed into the room.
The door snapped shut, and the sounds of the guards were immediately muffled.
Luther prayed that the backup lockdown mechanism still worked the same way he’d originally designed it, and that by disabling the computer, the backup would immediately kick in, assess the threat, and lock down the facility.
Luther rushed to the last door, Katie clutched to his chest. He swiped Bauer’s access card, and the door to freedom opened. He barreled outside into the open air. The moment the door closed behind him, he heard the sound of a foghorn: lockdown. Relief flooded him. Not even the guards could get out now. It would take at least half an hour for even the best IT expert to override the system and unlock the doors.
Time enough to get away.
“You’re safe, Katie. Just hold on for a little while longer,” he demanded.
The pickup truck he found in the parking lot was perfect. He carefully laid Katie on the front bench, shucked the heavy Kevlar vest and gloves and hotwired the car. Once the engine started, he pulled Katie’s head onto his lap and drove off.
His eyes searched the rearview mirror, but there was no movement, no cars following them as he put miles between them and the prison. For the first time in minutes, he took a conscious breath.
Keeping his left hand on the steering wheel, he reached for Katie with his right. “I’m gonna check your wound. I won’t hurt you.”
She moaned when he touched her left flank. The dress shirt was soaked in blood, and the smell, now that they were in a confined space, filled his nostrils and made hunger surge inside him. He forced it back down.
As gently as he could, he peeled back the ripped cloth and exposed the wound.
“Shit!”
Her eyes shot open and met his. “Is it bad?” she choked out.
“Just a flesh wound. You’ll be all right,” he deflected, choosing not to tell her the truth. “But we’ve gotta stop the bleeding.”
Katie pressed her hand onto the wound. “No hospital, right?” she guessed.
He gave her a faint smile. She was smart. He couldn’t bring her to a hospital. Not only would it delay their escape, the council that ran the vampire prison had spies everywhere. They would know quickly where to find him. By now they would have identified him from the camera feeds inside the prison.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured, a gurgle in her voice now. “It’s all my fault. They’ll lock you up again.”
“They’ll have to find me first. So let me worry about that later.” There was something more important to think of right now, because judging by the gurgling sound in Katie’s voice, her lung had been punctured. If he didn’t act immediately, her lungs would fill with blood and she’d drown in her own fluids.
He lifted his wrist to his mouth, willing his fangs to extend. Then he caught Katie’s gaze.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“You need to heal.” He bit into his own wrist, puncturing his vein, making blood drip from it. He brought the bleeding wound to Katie’s mouth. “Drink.”
He sensed her hesitate and felt anger well up in him. No vampire offered his blood lightly. This was a gift, one he didn’t easily bestow on anybody. “It won’t turn you into a—”
“I know that,” she interrupted, her voice even weaker than before.
“Then drink, damn it!”
Slender fingers pulled his wrist down to her lips. A warm mouth made contact with his skin. A gentle breath caressed his flesh.
If he hadn’t been driving, he would have leaned his head against the headrest and closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation of Katie suckling from him. It had been so long since a woman had done this, since a woman had taken his blood into her body, and accepted him and all he had to offer.
Luther allowed his fist to unfurl and the tips of his fingers to touch Katie’s cheek. Her skin was soft and smooth. Warm. Her heat suffused his hand and penetrated the pads of his fingers. Tempted by the tantalizing sensation, he caressed her face with slow, tiny strokes. Katie appeared to suck harder now, pulling more blood from his vein.
Oh God, it felt as if she was sucking his cock, as if her tender lips wrapped around his swollen shaft, taking him deep into her gorgeous mouth.
He took his eyes off the road, looking down at her face. Her eyes were closed again, but she was conscious. She was holding onto his wrist with one hand now. The other lay on her breast, restless, moving.
He knew what was happening to her. While his blood was healing her wound from the inside, the side effects were kicking in. Her body was awakening with sexual desire, with the need to be touched, the need to find release.
The scent of her arousal now mixed with the aroma of her blood and his, creating a combination that became harder and harder to resist with every second that passed. He couldn’t let this happen. It was bad enough that he wanted her, that feeling her drink from him aroused him, but he couldn’t let her get into the same state he was in.
“It’s enough,” he ground out and pulled his wrist from her mouth.
She moaned in protest, but he brought his wrist to his lips and licked the incisions. His saliva closed the holes instantly as if they’d never existed.
“Rest now, we’ll be there soon.” And he hoped that by the time they reached the s
afe place he was heading for, Katie’s wound would be healed and the arousal that came with the consumption of vampire blood subsided.
At least then he’d only have to deal with his own arousal.
23
The gentle rocking of the truck sent her in and out of consciousness, until it finally stopped. No more humming of the engine, no more vibrations beneath her back. No more pretending that the continuous shifting of her hips was a result of the car’s movement, when she knew what it really was: a sign of the sexual desire brought on by drinking Luther’s blood.
She’d been around vampires long enough to know the signs, but nobody had warned her that the effect of vampire blood would be so intense, or that it would last as long as it did.
Katie felt Luther’s thigh muscles flex underneath her nape. Even after he’d fed her from his wrist, he’d kept his right arm across her torso, holding her. Whether to make sure she didn’t slip from the bench or for whatever other reason, she didn’t know. Nor had she cared. It felt good to feel connected to him, to feel his strength, his protection.
She was aware of him in a way she hadn’t known was possible. Every fiber of her body seemed to reach for him, yearning for an even deeper connection, a melding of body and soul. And though she knew it was wrong to give into the desire, she couldn’t find the strength to resist.
Luther’s blood coupled with the memories of their passionate kiss from the night before conjured up images in her mind’s eye that she didn’t want to suppress. What would it be like if she pulled his hand to her breasts so he could take away the ache that she felt there?
Katie lifted her hand from her stomach, reaching for his, but before she could touch him, he was sliding out from beneath her and placing her head gently onto the bench.
“We’re here,” he announced and opened the driver’s side door.
Katie opened her eyes and looked up, but the light on the truck’s ceiling blinded her for an instant. A moment later, the passenger door was opened.
She sat up, slowly, her gaze focused on her midsection where her open shirt was bloodstained. Adrenaline coursed through her and sent her heartbeat into the stratosphere.
She lifted her eyes from the wound and stared at Luther, who stood in the open door. “Oh my God, how badly was I injured?”
“Badly enough.” Luther’s serious expression said more than his short reply. “Come, I’ll take you inside.” He reached for her.
Instinctively, she shrank back. If he touched her now, how would she be able to stop herself from throwing herself at him like a sex-crazed groupie? “I’m fine. I can walk.”
“Not until I’ve checked out your wound.” The words were said with a finality that didn’t allow for any protest.
Luther scooped her out of the truck much more gently than she’d expected a vampire of his size and reputation to be capable of. When she was outside and he kicked the car door shut, she peered into the darkness.
“Where are we?”
He carried her toward a dark building. “At a friend’s place.” The added I hope was mumbled under his breath.
The one-story house seemed to be in the middle of a forest, hidden away from curious eyes.
“No farther!” a male voice came from somewhere in the darkness.
Luther stopped, and Katie instinctively tensed. “I was hoping you’d grant an old friend shelter for a few hours.”
“Luther West.” Suddenly a man appeared to their right. He lowered the crossbow slightly, but it was still pointed at them, and loaded with a wooden stake.
“Striker Reed.” Luther nodded toward the weapon. “Collecting antiques these days?”
Striker grinned, and Katie could now clearly see his fangs peeking from between his lips. “Guns are overrated. I prefer to kill my prey and my enemies silently.”
“I’m glad I don’t fall into either category,” Luther said dryly.
“No, you don’t,” the vampire agreed. Then he ran his eyes over Katie, making her shiver involuntarily. She’d never seen anybody with such a cold regard. “Jury’s still out on her.” He inhaled. “What is she?”
“Human,” Luther answered without hesitation. “And she’s injured. I need a place to take care of her.”
Striker took a few steps closer, his eyes zooming in on her bloodstained shirt. “By the looks of it, you already have.” He paused. “But who am I to turn away a friend in need?”
The stranger pointed his hand toward the house. “Mi casa es su casa.” Then he walked ahead of them and opened the entrance door. A second later the interior of the house was flooded with light.
Luther carried her over the threshold. “Do you have a room where I can clean her wound?”
Striker motioned to the back of the house. “Spare bedroom has a bathroom with it.” He walked ahead and opened the last door on the left.
“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Luther said.
Gently he placed her on the bed, removing her shoes in the process.
“Need help?” Striker asked.
Katie’s gaze shot to him, and she noticed the lascivious look he ran over her. Instinctively she pulled on her shirt to cover up her bra.
“Actually, yes, there’s something you could do for me,” Luther said. “I’m looking for somebody.”
“Wouldn’t have anything to do with the little scuffle at the prison tonight, would it?”
Katie noticed Luther squaring his shoulders as if he expected a confrontation. “How did you—”
“You forget,” the stranger cut him off, “that my connections to the council give me unique insight into everything that happens on my turf.” He nodded toward Katie. “I suppose you’re not really a hooker like my source said.”
Katie tilted her head to the side. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
Unexpectedly, Striker laughed, then addressed Luther. “Yeah, didn’t really think you were into hookers.”
Luther grunted something unintelligible, his facial expression dark and stormy.
“Who’re you after?”
“An ex-V-CON named Cliff Forrester. He was released about a week ago. I need to know where he is now.”
“What’s he done?”
“He kidnapped the hybrid daughter of an old friend of mine.”
Striker nodded. “Well, in that case, let me make a few inquiries. You guys okay here on your own for a couple of hours?” He chuckled dryly. “Scratch that. Of course you are.” He turned and marched out into the hallway.
“Thanks, Striker,” Luther called after him.
When the entrance door opened and then closed again a few moments later, the tension in Katie’s body finally released. She swung her legs out of bed.
“Whoa!” Luther stopped her, planting himself right in her path. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She motioned to her bloodstained shirt. “Getting cleaned up. What else?”
He pressed his palm against her shoulder, forcing her to lie down again. “I’ll take care of that. You: stay!” He turned to the door of the en-suite bathroom. “And take off your shirt.”
“The bra, too?” she bit out, annoyed by his commanding tone.
He spun his head to her. “Just the fucking shirt, unless you’d rather I help you with that.” Then he disappeared in the bathroom.
Katie felt a shiver run down her spine, turning her skin into goose bumps. Her nipples hardened at the same time and she suppressed a curse. Upset with herself for her sophomoric reaction to the order, she peeled out of the shirt and tossed it onto a nearby chair.
She knew exactly why she was reacting like this: because Luther’s blood was still coursing through her. It made her irrational, impulsive. It made her want to do things that were wrong—like stripping in front of him and provoking him until he tossed her underneath him and buried his hard cock in her. There, she’d admitted it to herself. But no way would she admit that to the Neanderthal in the bathroom.
All he would do was gloat. His words from the night before st
ill echoed in her ears.
I would have kissed anything with tits at this point.
That had hurt. Did he not find her attractive? Did he not sense the smoldering heat that sparked between them? Was she the only one who felt it? Because it was singeing her, and there were only two things she could do to resolve her current predicament: run as far away from him as possible, or get as close as two people could physically get.
And right now, she didn’t want to run. She wanted Luther, even if he didn’t want her. And she would use all the feminine wiles at her disposal to get what she wanted.
24
Luther wrung out the washcloth he’d found in the cabinet under the sink and snatched a towel from the rack. He stared into the mirror, but there was no reflection. Not that he needed a mirror to tell him what he already knew: his vampire side was about to break through the surface and make him do things he would regret later. Because another minute in Katie’s company, and he’d either choke her to death for flaunting her enticing body and provoking him at every turn, or fuck her until she lost consciousness.
I figure I’m safe as long as I don’t let you fuck me.
Her words from the night before ricocheted in his head like a misfired bullet. She knew full well that he wanted her, and she used that knowledge to manipulate him. To play him.
God, he’d even started to care about what happened to her. When the prison guard had stabbed her, his heart had stopped for fear of being too late to save her.
Luther grunted to himself and walked back into the bedroom. Katie lay on the bed, propped up by two pillows. She’d taken off the shirt, but still wore her bra. Keeping his eyes down, he approached and sat on the edge of the bed.
Without a word, he brought the wet washcloth to her wound and wiped over it.
She jerked back.
“Still hurting?” he asked, surprised. The healing process should be almost complete.
“Just cold.”
He stopped himself short from apologizing for not having thought of using warm water. He was no fucking nurse. “Hmm.”
