Desire by Blood

by Schroeder, Melissa

  She gave him a knowing look and a kiss on the cheek.

  "I am going to retire myself. I feel every one of my seven hundred and fifty years tonight."

  Then, she left them alone.

  "I am going to contact father," Gray said. "I think that he needs to rally some of the council members around this cause. If not, we might find ourselves with a war on our hands."

  Malik shook his head. "We already have a war on our hands, Gray. Do you not see it?"

  Gray sighed and nodded. “There are more than a few reports of people disappearing, and I know for a fact that Viscount Emery had an encounter with one the other night. The Made insinuated that there were a few more running the streets.”

  "Not just a few," Saint said. "I would say that there is a chance he is reaching the hundreds now. He might have heard how you saved Hurst and started doing the same to save his."

  Malik shook his head. "And if he knows that, he will have them under his thumb. He will have a bloody army of Mades ready to do his bidding."

  Malik knew exactly what he spoke of. He had witnessed it twice, and Nico knew that his friend still had nightmares.

  "Contact your father. I think we can drum up some more support and make it impossible for the bastard to make his army stronger," Malik said.

  He fell silent, and Gray was watching him. "What?"

  "The thing that is bothering me is why? I can understand why he would come after me, but what is his plan for the world of the Borns? Neal is a Born. He wanted to be on that damned Quad so badly. He doesn't need a massive army and he doesn't need to come after me. So, I am confused."

  “Who gives a damn?” Hurst asked, his voice quiet. He had been silent for most of the time, watching the men as they discussed the situation.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why do we care why he is doing this?” Nico could hear the aggravation in Hurst’s voice.

  Nico understood Hurst’s irritation and the fear Nico knew Hurst was trying to hide.

  “We find out his reasons, we can possibly guess his next move,” Nico said calmly.

  Hurst lapsed into a brooding silence.

  “I am going to go out tonight,” Saint said.

  “Let me drop Hurst off at the house and I will go with you,” Gray said.

  “I want to go.” Hurst spoke quietly, never leaving his chair.

  They all turned back to Hurst.

  “No, too dangerous,” Gray said. “You are newly turned, and we do not know what will happen.”

  “I want to go. I want to help find this bastard.”

  Nico opened his mouth to disagree, but Malik said, “Let him come.”

  He studied his oldest friend, the one he was closer to than even his own brother. Malik was the only one who knew what Hurst was truly going through right now.

  “You think he can handle it?” Nico asked.

  Malik looked at him. “I can keep an eye on him. He might remember something, help us in some way.”

  Nico nodded. “Then it is settled. He will go with you.” He looked at Hurst. “Be careful, because he might be a target. By now, Neal knows Hurst survived. He will be worried about what Hurst remembers, and he might want to kill him.”

  Malik nodded. “Remember, old man, I can take care of it. I will stake my life on it.”

  “I am going tonight.” Nico should be there. He could not allow his friends to go into such a dangerous situation without joining them.

  “No.” Malik shook his head at his friend. “There are enough of us. Cordelia already said she did not want to go out tonight. I will get ready. I have stakes.”

  Hurst’s face paled.

  “Just as a precaution.” Nico smiled.

  “I hope you know what you are doing, Nico. You are his target.” Malik looked worried.

  Nico stood from his chair and began pacing the room. “I do not like hiding. It is beginning to make me feel unmanly.”

  Saint rolled his eyes.

  “Can we get on with it tonight?” Hurst asked.

  “Indeed,” Saint said.

  Malik took the others to outfit them with stakes as Nico made his way to his bedroom. Of course, it was Cordelia’s, but she had not realized he had moved into hers. He could not sleep anywhere else, nor did he want to.

  He knocked softly. There was no answer. He slipped through the door, shutting it behind him. She was sleeping. The only light in her room came from the moonlight peeking through the curtains. He moved towards the bed and watched her. She was curled up on her side, her blonde curls feathered over the pillows.

  He needed to change into different clothes, but instead, he stood staring at her. He didn’t want to wake her up. She needed her rest if Saint was to be believed. Still, Nico couldn’t resist brushing her hair back away from her face and slipping his finger down her jawline.

  She mumbled his name in her sleep, then snuggled closer to the pillow. A lump formed in his throat, and he found it hard to swallow. The idea of having a child with Cordelia warmed him. An emotion he could not seem to define almost unmanned him.

  For her and their future, he would do everything in his power to end this mess.

  * * * *

  The scent of rotting food and the stench of unwashed bodies assaulted Malik first. He hated this, and it was worse for their kind, but walking down an alley to the hell was the easiest way to go undetected.

  "Why are we going the back way again?" Gray asked. He swore violently when he stepped in a puddle.

  "Because, the five of us skulking around the streets will raise attention. We want to do that in the club, not on the street. Makes us a target."

  It would also make Hurst a target. The man was going to have enough to deal with in the coming years, let alone the physical attacks he would take. The fact that he was one of the few Mades he could save in recent memory did not leave Malik feeling any better. Anything is better than dying...unless you were turned by a Born against your will.

  "It should be around the corner," Nico offered.

  Malik nodded and let them to the door. Hell's Door was one of the better hells frequented by Mades and Borns alike. Here they did not care where you came from, just that you had gold coins to spend.

  "We were here a few nights ago. There were a few suspicious characters trolling the area, not much more," Saint said.

  "But they do cater to vampires and humans, so it would be the perfect hunting ground," Malik said. "He would like to go after people who were at their end, so to speak."

  They started up the steps, but Hurst didn't say anything. He stood looking at the painted red door. Malik turned.

  "Hurst?"

  "I think I was here," Hurst said quietly.

  Saint stepped closer. "You're remembering."

  It wasn't a question. Bloody Scot probably already knew that Hurst would remember things. Malik was just happy he didn't see the future. He had learned a long time ago not to look at the future but live in the present.

  "Let's go."

  They all followed him in. Malik was given easy access. It helped that he was accompanied by three peers of the realm, one being just a stone's throw away from the throne. With a Blackburn there, it helped even more, but Malik was wealthy, and that was well known within their world.

  They made their way through the gaming tables and nodded to a few people he knew, both human and vampire. There appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary, but something was making him very uncomfortable. His intuition told him there was someone watching them.

  "You feel it too," Hurst said only loud enough for Malik to hear.

  Malik nodded.

  "I don't feel that well at the moment," Hurst said weakly.

  He glanced at the viscount. He looked fine, his skin flushed from the recent feeding they had given him. Hurst wasn't in danger of falling into a feeding frenzy. Instead, something was telling his senses to flee. Excitement and caution ran through Malik. That meant there was a good chance that Hurst's sire was nearby.

>   "Do you feel him?" Malik asked.

  Hurst nodded.

  "Do we need to leave?" Malik suspected they were close to finding Neal.

  "I sense he wants us dead."

  He would want them dead, and it wasn't uncommon for a Made to be able to feel his maker’s feelings—especially if they were in close quarters.

  “But do you think we should leave?” Malik asked again.

  Saint frowned at them. “What are you talking about?”

  “His sire is here. He’s watching,” Malik answered.

  “Let’s circulate then and see. He won’t do anything here.” Saint turned to scan the space.

  They walked around the room, each of them playing a few hands here and there. A half hour later, they had nothing.

  Nico shook his head, his expression darkening. “We could wait here all night, but I am not sure that is a good idea. We are leaving ourselves exposed. I have a feeling the bastard will not come out until he is ready.”

  Hurst swallowed noticeably. “He truly isn’t happy you are here, Blackburn.”

  Nico nodded, but Malik was not ready to let it go. “Hurst, what else do you feel?”

  He closed his eyes. “He is watching but not here. Or not on the floor.”

  “He’s got an office here or a room of some sort,” Gray said.

  “He is furious you are in his den, and he cannot do anything. It isn’t time yet,” Hurst said as he opened his eyes. “This is one sick bastard you are dealing with.”

  Nico nodded. “We are well acquainted.”

  “We need to leave, now,” Hurst said. The anxiety in his voice had risen, and his eyes were dilated. Malik knew better than to question his intuition. The connection to the sire had been lessened because Hurst had been fed the blood of several Borns and not the one who made him. Still, Malik didn’t want to chance it. They could return later with a greater group. This was definitely the place to watch.

  They slowly made their way out of the hell, and Malik drew in a deep breath. A light drizzle was falling.

  “I think we should get a handsome cab,” Saint said.

  He glanced at Saint, who hated using any kind of closed space to travel. There was definitely something wrong.

  “We would need two, and there aren’t any here during this time of night. We need to walk a few blocks this way,” Gray said. They walked along, and Malik felt the air change. The hair on the back of his neck prickled and a sheet of ice slid down his spine. Someone was watching them. Not just the normal criminals who hung out in the stews. No, this was the same feeling he had in the hell.

  In the next moment, he heard the rush of steps behind him, and then another group came up from the alley on their right. He looked around and realized they had walked directly into a damned trap.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Nico heard the scrape of shoes against the cobblestone and knew immediately that they had been followed. He settled his hand on the stake he had attached to his belt and glanced at Malik. He nodded and they both turned. There were only five men, Mades from the looks of them. The one face he had not seen was Neal’s.

  They turned to form a circle to face their attackers.

  “All we want is Nico Blackburn,” one of them said. Their eyes were red, as if they had not slept. Their expressions spoke of confusion. They truly did not know what they were doing. Now, after all these years, he knew exactly what Malik had been talking about.

  Nico knew it would be easier to face Neal head on, but the moment he stepped forward, Malik made a sound.

  "Do not even think of it. I am not going back to Cordelia to tell her you went with Mades to a man who wants to kill you."

  "Forget it," Saint spat out. "If the bastard wants a part of Nico, then he needs to come to him. Cowards don't get what they want."

  Bloody hell. He knew these Mades would not kill him before they took him to Neal. He had heard that tone from both his cousin and Malik before. They both would not let him go.

  "Good enough for us," the tallest of the bunch said. He was also the biggest. "We can take care of this lot and then take you to our sire."

  They all thought they were invincible. They were ready to lay down their lives for their sire without a second thought because they did not know any better.

  "They really are stupid, you know?" Malik said conversationally.

  And they were. The big one stepped forward and tried to take Malik. He met his blow by blocking it with his arm.

  He struck the man with his right fist. The crack of bone told Nico that he had broken the man's nose. Now they all came at them. The one that took on Nico stepped forward. Nico fought him fist to fist.

  He paid no attention to what was going on around him. He wanted to make sure they kept one of them alive. They needed to know where Neal was holed up.

  Nico made quick work of his adversary. He gave him one last punch, and the Made fell to the ground. When he turned around to face the rest of the crew, he found that most of them had fled. The only one left was the big guy, but instead of fighting Malik, it was Hurst that had his hands around his neck, squeezing the breath out of the bastard.

  “Tell me where your maker is. Tell me now!” Hurst commanded.

  “You should know since he is your commander, too.” The Made struggled against Hurst’s hands.

  The comment had Hurst squeezing his hands tighter around his throat. The Made’s face turned blue in the process. Hurst would not be able to kill him, but the Made could not answer his questions. Before Nico could intervene, the Made passed out.

  Hurst shoved him away. The viscount's breathing was ragged, and Nico could practically feel the rage rolling off him. He didn't blame Hurst. If the same thing had been done to him, Nico would definitely want revenge.

  Both of the Mades left were unconscious.

  "I can take them to my house," Gray offered. "We have room, of course."

  He shared a look with Malik, knowing that they would have to question the bastards. Nico nodded.

  "I better get back to the house. Can you handle them?" Nico asked.

  Gray nodded.

  Malik reached to pick up one of the unconscious Mades. "I'll go with Gray. Saint, you should go with Nico."

  Nico frowned. "I don't need—"

  "For the love of the gods, could you just do it, Nico.” Malik seemed to be losing his patience. “You are the one with a wife, and your mother is there. Gray's mother is safe, as I am sure that Saint's is. There is no problem there.”

  Nico agreed. They helped the men get the others into a cab and then they headed on foot for home.

  "You will be tested, you know this," Saint said.

  "Tested? By Neal?"

  "By the very thing you think you don't need."

  He rolled his eyes. Saint was good at times, but many other times, he irritated Nico. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his ramblings now.

  They were back at his townhouse within minutes. He was so bloody tired of this game. He wanted it to end. But he knew he had to stay to protect their way of life.

  Slowly, he walked up the stairs. The thought of what he had seen that night and weeks prior to this made him damned sick.

  He wanted to see Cordelia, to touch her, to know that all that was good in the world was still there. But he wasn't sure he should bother her. She needed her rest, and he smelled of whiskey and smoke. Still he wanted to look in on her at least before taking his bath. He found her just where he had left her, sleeping soundly. There wasn't a woman who could look so innocent...but he knew better. She had a wicked mind and a quick wit, and she was everything that was good to him.

  He brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. She stirred. Her eyelashes fluttered.

  "Nico?" she asked drowsily.

  He should turn, leave, but he couldn't. After the last few weeks, he had grown too accustomed to having her by his side. He didn't even know when it became so damned important to have her there. He knew mating would keep them connected, and the ne
ed to be near each other was normal. But this was...overwhelming.

  "I need to bathe."

  She sighed and her eyes closed again. Wanting to avoid temptation, he turned to go to the bathing room. Moments later, he was slipping into a steaming hot bath. It worked on his muscles, loosening them up. It wasn't helping the cockstand that he had gotten from just staring at Cordelia.

  He was starting to fall asleep when he heard her soft footsteps.

  “Are you doing all right?”

  The sound of her voice shifted through him. He was still running hot from the fight, and he needed time to pull himself under control.

  “Go back to bed, Cordelia.”

  There was a pause, then he heard her move forward into the room. He closed his eyes and tried his best to keep his beast under control.

  “You sound off, as if something is wrong.”

  “There was an altercation tonight,” he said, unable to think of something else. All he could see was sinking his fangs into her neck and feeding off her as he poured himself into her.

  “Oh,” she said.

  She made barely a noise, but he could hear her bare feet patter across the tiled floor and the way her nightdress moved against her skin. Worse, he could scent her blood. He ground his teeth together.

  “No one was hurt?” she asked as he sensed her sitting on the edge of the tub. It was a bold move for Cordelia. She wasn’t a prude by any means, but she had never been so forward as to approach him while he was nude.

  “No. We recovered two Mades. They are at Gray’s.”

  “Are you angry with me?”

  Hunger clawed at his belly. The spark of arousal he felt earlier was now an inferno blazing through his blood. “No. I just think…” He drew in a deep breath and counted backwards from ten. When he thought he could control himself again, he said, “Please, it would be best if you left me alone.” He ground out every word, his voice harsh enough to give her the warning.

  “Nico.”

  He finally opened his eyes. “I am riding a fine edge of control here, Cordelia. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She said nothing for a long moment, then she reached out and cupped his jaw. “You would not hurt me.”