Burn: A shifter and vampire rock star romance (Underground Encounters Book 4)

by Lisa Carlisle

  And his eyes. Not only did they hold a swirl of all the colors of the ocean, where I could get lost, but the intensity of his gaze shot thrills through me. A deep, smoldering look that signaled his hunger and his lust.

  “I’m going to lift you up now,” he commanded.

  I wasn’t sure what he meant, but was a willing volunteer for whatever he had in store.

  He lifted me off the edge of the bed, so my pussy grazed his cock. With just the touch of him there, my body was ready for more.

  “Is this hurting you?” he motioned at the rope.

  “Untie it,” I said.

  “No.”

  “Fuck,” I swore. “You infuriate me, Devon. But don’t you dare stop fucking me.”

  “Never,” he said.

  He glided in, impaling me on his cock. Once I was stable in his arm, my one free arm clinging on to his shoulder, he pumped into me like a man possessed, as if driven by some unseen force. I yelped with each thrust, unable to keep quiet. The intensity was too great.

  “Yes, Devon. Yes!”

  I clawed at his shoulder blade as I powered against him, in a primal dance where words didn’t exist. As our pace increased to an almost manic level, I felt myself rise to a peak again.

  How was this man so capable of getting such a response from me?

  “Right there. Oh yes…”

  My self-control evaporated. The awareness of his blood was too much. My fangs ached to pierce his flesh and drink from that exquisite fountain.

  “Let me bite you,” I begged.

  “No, Layla. Control it.”

  He stopped thrusting into me and held me aloft. “You have to.”

  My vision was hazy due to my thirst, but as he came back into focus, I locked on to his blue-green eyes.

  Devon

  Fuck. I’d let myself get wrapped up in these sensations as I buried myself into Layla’s tight heat. But now, she wanted to drink my blood.

  “Fight it,” I commanded.

  She stared at me for countless moments appearing lost.

  She grimaced and closed her eyes, as if she struggled to regain control. Her fangs retracted.

  After she reopened her eyes, she said, “I’m fine now, Devon. Please don’t stop.”

  It took tremendous self-control for her to control that urge to bite me. Maybe all vamps weren’t mindless bloodsuckers. And Layla, damn, she didn’t feel cold or dead. But, warm and alive and oh so fuckin’ good. Like hot silk that wrapped around me. I resumed pumping into her. She met each thrust, increasing the friction. Her limbs tightened as she grew closer. She dropped her head back as she climaxed again, tightening her velvet sheath around me.

  The intense days of the hunt and then capture culminated in a tight coil of sensations that coiled through me like a cobra. My body tightened before the intensity exploded, and I shot my release deep inside her.

  For several moments, I couldn’t think, move, breath. Fuck—that had been intense.

  I rolled onto the bed beside her. When I could finally speak, I whispered. “Layla.”

  I wanted to stay here with her in my bed. But this was it—the one and only time we would be together. Regret filled me.

  Why did the woman I want also have to be a vampire I’d been hired to capture?

  Because I never would have met her otherwise.

  “Devon, can you please remove the restraints now?”

  “Shh,” I whispered. “Let’s just stay like this for another minute.”

  One minute turned into several. I lingered there before doing the inevitable. I glanced at the clock.

  Time to be a dick. For the first time, I had some reservations about doing my job.

  “Layla, it’s time.”

  “Time for what?” she said in a sleepy voice. I wondered if she was on the verge of falling asleep.

  “We have to go.”

  “Go? Where?” she asked.

  “You know where.” I climbed out of bed and got dressed.

  Once she caught on to what I was talking about, she might not be as sweet as she’d been in my arms. And I didn’t want her to bite me again.

  “You’re taking me to Stefano’s after that? Are you shitting me?”

  “No, Layla, it’s not a joke.” I had to harden myself to do the job and not fall into the trap of the vamp trying to manipulate me. “It’s just the way it is.”

  She readjusted the dress, and it covered the sweetest, most private parts of her body.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

  “I have a job to do. You know this.”

  “You’re still going to turn me in? Even after we just made love?”

  I was quite sure she was playing me the whole time and that she’d used sex to manipulate me.

  But, I wasn’t 100% sure, and that unnerved me.

  Watch out for her, Devon. She’s dangerous. You know this. You fell right into her little plan like any old mortal she would seduce to make them volunteer to be her dinner. You need to step away from your feelings. She’s clearly using them against you. Don’t let your attraction to her cloud your vision.

  Steeling myself for the night ahead, I knew I had to be an asshole to protect myself from her. She was far too crafty for me to let down my guard around her. All the sweet things I’d said to her she’d use against me.

  “You might call that making love, sweetheart.” My callous detachment fell back into place. “I call it hot, rough, mind-blowing sex.”

  The way she stared at me with hate-filled eyes filled me with regret. I wanted to take it all back, apologize, and bring her back into my arms. Maybe I should skip out on this job. What allegiance did I have to a vampire anyway? None.

  She’s just using you.

  “I’m a bounty hunter,” I added. “I have to be cold.”

  Her blazing eyes aroused me, making me rock-hard again. Damn, I wanted her one more time.

  Devon, you are one sick bastard.

  I would rather she said anything than look at me with such loathing.

  When she finally said, “You evil, twisted, fucking asshole!” I changed my mind and preferred the silence. “I already regret sleeping with you,” she spat. “A big fat stupid mistake.”

  “That’s funny, you didn’t seem to mind when you came—how many times was that again? I lost count.”

  “Shut up! A total fucking mistake. I can’t believe I slept with a slick sonovabitch like you.”

  “Easy, princess. It wasn’t that bad. You were actually pretty hot for a dead girl.”

  Why couldn’t I just shut up? The more I hurt her, the more she lashed out at me. And I didn’t see any way out of this vicious cycle.

  “Piss off, you animal! You’re not even a man. More animal than human, especially as evidenced by your callousness.”

  “What callousness? You knew what this was. I’m here to bring you to Stefano. And I know what you were trying to do. I’m not dumb enough to let you use your womanly wiles to seduce me, so you can get away.”

  “Then why the hell did you sleep with me if I’m nothing but a job to you? A dead piece of meat.”

  “I—I—” She had me there. How would I explain the attraction I’ve felt for her since the first time I saw her? When she writhed around, singing onstage, it threatened to give me a hard-on in front of everyone in the club. How could I explain that when she looked at me with her dark eyes that disarmed me? And either she was one hell of a vampire with powers I’d never encountered before, or she had some other kind of hold on me.

  So, what did I say? Something stupid, that I regretted before it even finished coming out of my mouth.

  “Because you’re hot. And I’m a male.”

  “You’re a fucking asshole!” she screamed. “Don’t fucking talk to me anymore.” She turned away from me.

  “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that it’s hard for a guy to resist someone as hot as you when she’s coming on to him. I meant I’m a flesh-and-blood male. It was suppo
sed to be a compliment.”

  She moved her hands to cover her ears. “Everything you say just makes it worse.”

  “Take your bloody hands off your ears and listen to me.”

  “No. So you can insult me some more before you get rid of me? Just another problem, just another job... I’m glad I’m nothing more than a pile of money to you. I hope you’ll be rewarded handsomely for your courage.”

  “Layla—”

  “Sod off, you bastard!”

  “You are not in a position to give orders right now.” I grabbed her by the arm.

  “Let go of me.” She tried to wiggle out of my grasp. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  “What I’m supposed to do. Not only will I be well-paid, but I’ll be happy not to have to listen to your mouth again!”

  “You’re an asshole, Devon. And if I get the chance, I’m going to rip you into tiny little pieces and suck every last drop of blood out of your dead fucking corpse.”

  Her burning eyes took on a reddish tint as she glowered at me.

  I returned it with a cold glint and smiled. “Then I guess we’ll use the handcuffs.”

  Chapter 6

  Joey

  The hours passed, and Angelica hadn’t returned my calls. Where the fuck was she?

  I’d called her again, even went by her apartment. She lived in a crappy high-rise apartment over a pizza place on Commonwealth Avenue. Mike and I lived in a three-family house not too far away, but I didn’t dare tell him how I was looking for her. He’d tell me I was stalking her, and I’d better back off before she got pissed and quit the band.

  When Angelica didn’t answer her door, I drove down to the police department in Brighton and parked on the main road. What would I even say to them? If she found out I’d filed a missing person report, I pictured her flipping out.

  Putting half a dozen quarters in the parking meter, I walked down Washington Street, trying to figure out what to do.

  A private investigator, maybe?

  Yes, I felt foolish and perhaps I was overreacting, but I couldn’t just sit around waiting for Angelica to call me. If she was even able to call. Something about the whole situation left me uncomfortable, and I worried about her. If I hadn’t seen that guy in the club drive off alone, I would have thought he was involved.

  I used my smartphone to locate a local private investigator. After I explained the situation, he said he’d meet me at a coffee shop nearby in half an hour. His being so readily available raised a flag that his services might not be in high demand, but I was more relieved at having someone who might help with this situation.

  As I walked down to the coffee shop, my thoughts were consumed with Angelica. I first saw her at a show in Boston. A local hardcore band that was big in the nineties played a reunion show. Most of the crowd consisted of guys in their thirties and forties who remembered the band back when they first toured. Then there was the younger crowd who were too young at the time to know who the band was, but were interested in seeing what they considered a Boston rock ’n ‘roll “classic.”

  In walked a petite woman wearing a black dress and high black boots as if trying to deceive people to think she was much taller. She stayed in the back of the club as if avoiding attention. Her hair was a natural chestnut color back then with her makeup subdued, if she wore any at all.

  Although she remained in the shadows, I noticed her right away. I walked away from the guys to approach her.

  “Hi. Can I get you a drink?” I asked.

  Her eyes darted around the room as her body tensed, but then she relaxed and flashed a warm smile. “Sure. Thanks.”

  “I’m Joey.”

  “Angelica.”

  As we spoke over a beer, I told her about Bloodlust Diamond. Most girls who came to these clubs were into guys who were in a band. Angelica wasn’t as impressed as I thought she’d be. Instead, she focused on the part where I told her we needed a new lead singer. Although the idea of female lead singer threw me off at first, she convinced me to let her audition for the role.

  I left with her number that night, only not for the reason I had been hoping for.

  The guys were skeptical at first, but during the audition, we all saw something. Angelica and I had chemistry. Something we could play up onstage. It was a different vibe from having all guys in the band, but we all thought there was something there we had to try out. When I asked Angelica to join Bloodlust Diamond, she was thrilled but cautious.

  “Only one thing though,” she’d said. “I’m a private person. Please don’t ask me personal questions.”

  “O-kay,” I’d responded. “You do realize that when you’re in a band, you’re stuck together for long periods at a time. There’s practice and rehearsals and working together to come up with songs. Then there are the shows. Most of the time they’re local, but some are out of town, and we may spend the night in a motel. So maybe you should think about what this gig actually means before you agree to it.”

  “That’s fine, I get that,” she’d said. “I just don’t like people asking me too many questions about my past. I want to live in the here and now.”

  She had to be hiding something, but what? Did she escape prison? Was she on the run from an abusive lover?

  I was willing to overlook her obsessive need for privacy to bring her into the band. When I warned the guys, they scoffed. “What is she, some freak?” Mark asked.

  “Look who’s talking.”

  “Whatever,” Rocco said. “Like I care where she came from. I have enough girls I have to pretend to be interested in. All I want to know is if she can sing in front of an audience.”

  It turned out she could. And since then, Angelica had been part of our band, becoming a bigger part of my life as well. She kept her distance from the other guys, and they gave her space. The two of us had developed a sort of friendship.

  As much as she wanted to keep her past a secret, I knew she was afraid of someone or something. The skittish way she often reacted, especially if taken off guard, was one I caught on to quickly. The mystery of who she was and what she was hiding from bothered me. I tended to be overprotective when it came to her. A trait she didn’t appreciate.

  Late at night, I wondered if our chemistry onstage and our slowly blooming friendship offstage could lead to something else one day. But I didn’t want to come on to her and scare her off. She had enough guys hitting on her every time she played, and I’m sure she wouldn’t want her bandmates to jump on that wagon.

  So, I was too much of a chickenshit to let her know how I felt. And if something had happened to her without me ever telling her—well, I didn’t want to go there.

  Why hadn’t I ever asked her what she was scared of? Was she hiding from someone? I would have offered to help her.

  Whatever was haunting Angelica from her past might have caught up with her—and now it might be too late for me to help.

  When the PI arrived at the coffee shop, he ordered a black coffee and a muffin and then sat across from me.

  “Jack Westcott,” he said, shaking my hand. He sported a graying mustache and an obvious toupee and wore jeans and a navy-blue T-shirt covered by a Red Sox jacket.

  “Tell me about the situation,” he said and took a sip of his coffee. My coffee had long since gone cold. The churning in my stomach had turned me off.

  I told him what I knew about Angelica Blackwell, which wasn’t much, while he ate his muffin. Then I described how I last saw her at the club.

  “I might sound like I’m overreacting, but I think something is up. I just don’t know what it is.”

  “What happened with that guy?”

  “I saw him driving away from the club a short time later, but she wasn’t with him.”

  “Are you sure of this?” he asked, leaning in.

  “Well, yeah,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “I saw him drive away. She wasn’t in the car.”

  “You mean she wasn’t visible to you.”

  “What are you saying
?”

  “I’m saying this guy is the last person we know to have seen her, after the bouncer and you. We find this guy and ask him what he knows.”

  “I have no idea who he is.”

  “Then we ask around the club. Check security footage.”

  In my frustration, I blurted out, “Why wouldn’t Angelica answer my calls?” My voice lilted at the end, and I made a conscious effort to keep it level before I continued. “Why wouldn’t she call me back when I said I was worried?”

  A part of me knew it might be because I was pushing her too hard. That she had enough of my protective streak always looking over her. This Westcott guy picked up on this right away.

  “Was your relationship strained in any way?”

  “Why do you ask that?”

  “Because when people go missing, there are usually two reasons. Either they’re in trouble. Or they’ve disappeared of their own free will for some personal reason. Do you think either one of those are more likely here?”

  I could debate this in my head all day long with arguments for each. “I think it could be either one.”

  Westcott said he’d go by Vamps when it opened again that evening. I paid him for two days work and hoped I wasn’t wasting money.

  Layla

  I didn’t say a word to Devon on the way to Stefano’s place. Devon used the silver handcuffs just as he had promised, only at least he had the decency to let me sit up in the backseat of the car this time.

  The windows were tinted. And the car door had childproof locks. I checked. Oh, he was so thorough it just made me sick!

  As the lively bustle of London gave way to the rolling fields outside of the city, my anxiety heightened. We were getting closer. Several minutes passed before I recognized the turn that led to Stefano’s place.