Dare to Believe: The Gray Court, Book 1

by Dana Marie Bell

  “Father is lord, not you.” Her chin rose. She almost managed a sneer, but her broken cheek prevented it.

  “Father is dead, buried in the formal gardens.” Jaden’s jaw dropped. How in hell had he missed that? It was damn near impossible to hide death from a vampire.

  He glanced at the column that pinned Jeremy West to the ceiling. Perhaps the other vamp had somehow managed to hide the tell-tale signs?

  Kaitlynn’s skin had gone pale, her expression filled with trepidation.

  “Dead by your hand, I believe.” Duncan circled his sister, his eyes cold and without mercy. “For your crime of murder, the sentence is death.”

  Kaitlynn gasped.

  Goodbye, bitch. Jaden laughed internally, delighted at this turn of events.

  “For the crime of kidnapping and torture: also death.”

  She whimpered.

  “For the crime of the attempted murder of my bondmate: death.”

  Wait, bondmate? Jaden nearly chortled. Duncan was breaking out a truly archaic definition of the bond they shared, if he was calling Jaden his bondmate. By using that term, he increased the level of Kaitlynn’s crime from attempted murder to cardinal sin.

  “Sentence to be carried out immediately.” Duncan turned to Jaden with a grim look. “She’s all yours.”

  Jaden bowed, as best he could in his wounded state, to the man he’d pledged his allegiance and part of his heart to almost a century ago.

  Then he turned to Kaitlynn and smiled sweetly. The pain subsided at his lord’s permission to feed.

  He was very, very hungry.

  He let the predator in him surface, using everything he was to ensure the Deranged Darling paid her debt in full.

  Not one drop of Kaitlynn’s blood tainted the floor. Jaden made sure of it.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Leo chanted. He pulled Ruby under the warm water, desperate to get the tainted blood off of her. He didn’t bother removing her ruined clothes first, just dunked her under the shower and rinsed her as fast as he could. He completely ignored his own clothes, not caring that he was now soaked along with her. He was pretty sure Duncan could spare them some new ones.

  “Leo?”

  Her quavering, weepy voice nearly did him in. “It’s okay, kitten. I’m here.”

  She collapsed into his arms, sobbing, and he nearly sobbed with her. He held her and rocked her, making nonsense noises in her ear just to let her know he was there.

  He began to sing softly, a lullaby in the Sidhe tongue. Eventually her weeping slowed. When she began ripping her clothes from her body, he didn’t question, just helped. And when she picked them up and threw them as hard as she could out the shower door, he helped with that, too.

  Finally, her crying stopped completely. She drowsed in his arms, only the occasional sniffle letting him know she was still awake. He picked her up and carried her into the adjoining bedroom, laying her wet body down on top of the coverlet. He went back into the bathroom and turned off the water. He grabbed a towel and returned to her. He didn’t want her out of his sight.

  “You’re okay, kitten. Nobody’s ever going to hurt you again.”

  He winced as the gentle swipes of the towel against her abraded back drew a hiss of pain from her. When he was done, he rapidly stripped himself down, dried himself off, and slipped between the sheets. He really didn’t give a fuck if Duncan was offended or not. Ruby needed to rest, so she was going to rest. He wasn’t even sure whose bedroom they were in, other than it wasn’t Kaitlynn’s. The stench of the other woman would have driven him from the room once Ruby was cleaned off.

  Ruby cuddled up against his chest, hiding her face in his shoulder. The occasional shudder still wracked her body.

  If I hadn’t left her in the driveway none of this would have happened. Guilt ate at him like acid, but he just couldn’t deal with that right now. Ruby needed him.

  “Show me what she did to you, kitten.” He hoped if he could get inside her mind, he’d be able to fix whatever it was Kaitlynn had done to terrify her.

  She shook her head. “Nope. Not going there ever again.”

  He nodded. He’d get to see it when she was ready, he was determined on that, but there was no point in traumatizing her further. “Then tell me.”

  She drew a deep breath. “Have you ever seen those horror movies where someone’s strapped down to a table, a bit is put in their mouth, some weird contraption is strapped to their head, and then someone else throws the switch?”

  Leo stiffened. “Electrocution?”

  Ruby nodded, never moving her face from his shoulder.

  Oh, the bitch died way too easy. He’d felt Kaitlynn’s death while they’d been in the shower, but he’d been too focused on Ruby to pay it much attention. He was going to ask Duncan and Jaden to bury her body somewhere far, far away, where her evil would no longer poison his land.

  He felt Ruby moving against him and looked down. She was rubbing her head. “Headache?”

  “Throw some volts through your brain and see what happens.”

  He stroked her damp hair away from her face. “I have an idea.”

  “What?”

  “Do you trust me, kitten?”

  She looked up with a frown as he constructed the fantasy in his mind, projecting it into hers before she could form a protest.

  “Oh, hell yeah.” Ruby moaned. Those talented, strong fingers she loved worked their oily way up from her calves to the backs of her thighs. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  “Glad you like it.”

  She opened one sleepy eye to see Leo grinning down at her, his shoulders moving as he expertly massaged her legs. “What are you really doing to me?”

  Leo shrugged but kept going. “Antibiotic cream. Luckily none of the scrapes are bad. You won’t scar.”

  She snorted. “Glad I can’t feel that.”

  “I should never have left you alone.”

  The condemnation in his voice made her sigh. “I’m alive. You’re alive. Kaitlynn is…?”

  She looked over her shoulder to see a grim, satisfied smile on Leo’s lips. “Dead.”

  “Good. Did it hurt?”

  “A lot.”

  She laid her head back down on the pillow with a relieved sigh. “Good.” She relaxed into his hands, moaning when they moved up to the backs of her thighs. “By the way, could you, um, not do the squish thing again?”

  “The squish…oh.”

  “Yeah.” She shuddered, swallowing against a fresh wave of nausea.

  “I was angry.”

  She picked her head back up off the pillow and stared at him. “Remind me not to get you mad at me.”

  His face turned red. He moved up to massage the cheeks of her ass. “I’ve never tapped into my leprechaun half before. I didn’t realize I would do that, let alone could do that.”

  She nodded and put her head back down, closing her eyes, enjoying the feel of his wonderful hands gliding in soothing strokes over her waist. “I think lessons from Daddy are in order, don’t you?”

  “Not a bad idea, especially since we’ll be so close.”

  His absent tone said he wasn’t really paying attention. She was, however. “Oh? How close are we going to be, Leo?”

  His hands stopped. “Um. Yes. About that.”

  Ruby groaned. “Keep massaging, pretty boy. It sounds like you’ve got some explaining to do.”

  “I claimed the land.”

  His hands found a particularly sore spot. “Oh. That’s nice.”

  “It is?”

  “What happened, Leo?”

  “I claimed the land, obfuscated everyone’s senses but yours, Jaden’s and Duncan’s, got into the house, and saved the day.”

  “Oh. Is that all?”

  He choked on a laugh. “Yeah. That’s all.”

  “Your brother and sister are safe?”

  “Yes, they’re fine.”

  He began massaging her shoulders. She sank into the mattress, her muscles releasing even mo
re tension under his expert hands. “Ohhhh…good.”

  “If you weren’t injured I’d make you feel very, very good.”

  She smiled. “I believe you would.”

  He pressed a soft kiss to the back of her neck and settled down next to her. “Once those scrapes heal, I’ll show you exactly how good I can make you feel.”

  She stared into his face, the loving expression he wore not fooling her for a moment. “You’re going to make me live in Nebraska, aren’t you?”

  He winced.

  “Don’t think I didn’t catch that whole ‘I claimed the land’ stuff you said before. You’re good, but you’re not that good.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Was that a challenge?”

  She grinned and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Double-dog dare you.”

  He leaned over her and took her mouth with savage possession. “You’re on.”

  “Oh, boy.”

  He laughed and the world swirled in mist around her.

  Red satin sheets, a black metal headboard, chains and leather cuffs met her gaze. “Uh, Leo?” She pulled on one cuffed wrist, grateful he was blocking the pain of her scrapes. “How is this supposed to work?”

  She was on her stomach, a pillow under her hips, canting them upwards. Her legs were also tied, but there was more length to the chain, enabling her to move them a bit more freely.

  She couldn’t see him, only hear him as he prowled around at the foot of the bed. “Oh, from where I am, it works perfectly.” The bed dipped beneath her. He crawled up her body, barely touching her. She felt him caress her ass, cupping it in both hands. “What a beautiful ass.”

  She would have laughed at his satisfied sigh, but he chose that moment to begin circling her clit. “Oh, God.”

  “Mmm. You’re already getting wet for me.” She felt his warm, wet tongue lap between her pussy lips. “So sweet.”

  Her knees jerked, trying to pull herself up so that she knelt, but the bonds prevented it. “Leo.”

  He didn’t answer. He continued to nibble and suck between her legs while his fingers kept a steady rhythm on her clit. When he leaned back she moaned in denial, her hands straining against her bonds.

  “Shh. It’s okay, kitten.” She heard a buzzing noise, and shivered. “I know what to do to make you purr.”

  The vibrator worked its way into her pussy. She felt something brush her clit, rabbit ears she thought he’d called them. The vibrator slipped out, taking the rabbit ears off her aching clit. “Do that again.”

  His dark chuckle was followed by another thrust of the vibrator. “Do you like that?”

  “Yes.” She thrust back, trying to get that one piece of the vibrator against her clit again, loving the fullness of the fake cock.

  His tongue swiped across her hip. “Want more?” He withdrew the vibrator again.

  “Yes!” She was practically hissing at him. He was teasing her with that damn vibrator. She’d have to think of a suitable way to get back at him. Later. Much later.

  “I don’t know.” Once again he pushed the vibrator into her. He twisted it, causing the attachment to brush back and forth, back and forth against her throbbing clit. “This is merely good.” He leaned over her body until they were eye to eye, his chest to her back, his head resting next to hers on the pillow. His rock hard cock was nestled in the crack of her ass. “Wasn’t the dare to make it very good?”

  She shuddered, an orgasm rippling through her. She was really beginning to like those rabbit ears. He kissed her, his tongue fucking into her mouth. His hips began moving, stroking that hard, hot flesh against her ass.

  He twisted the vibrator again, and she nearly jumped off the bed. “Fuck.”

  “I guess you do like that.” He nipped at her neck, sucking hard. She knew he’d left a mark by the way he stared at her, his expression hot and possessive. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you now?”

  She felt the head of his cock brush against the entrance to her ass, but she didn’t care. The vibrator was beginning to work its magic again. Her fingers curled around the chains tying her to the bed. “Fuck me, Leo.”

  He shivered. “My pleasure.”

  If she hadn’t been on the verge of orgasm, the feral heat in his tone would have scared the shit out of her.

  She felt something cool and wet against her ass, and knew where he was going to fuck her. The lube eased the way for his fingers thrusting in and out, stretching her. The feeling got tighter, wider, the pleasure darkly delicious. His fingers were scissoring her open in preparation for his cock. Between his fingers and the vibrator, she felt stuffed full.

  She turned her head when his fingers left her ass. She watched as he greased his cock, his hot gaze glued to her ass. His other hand continued to stroke the vibrator in and out, the occasional twist of his wrist making her shake and moan.

  “I’m going to fuck your ass now.” He leaned over her again as his thick erection slid between her ass cheeks, the head invading her. He gave the dildo a last violent spin, sending her screaming into orgasm again. His cock sank deep into her ass and she pushed out against him, easing his way. She barely felt the sting, the pleasure drowning out the faint pain of his invasion.

  He was peppering her neck and back with tiny kisses. “So tight.”

  “Leo.” She was gasping, the fullness of his cock and the vibrator almost too much to bear.

  His teeth sank into her shoulder, just where it joined her neck, his mouth sucking forcefully. He pulled his cock almost all the way out of her. Her back arched, her neck tilting to the side, trying desperately to get him closer. His tongue stroked over the mark he’d left.

  He began to move, fucking her with smooth, steady strokes, the vibrator once again brushing against her clit. She found herself rocking back into him, moaning in time to his thrusts.

  “So good. So damn good.” His words were slurred as he picked up speed, his cock slamming into her. He sat up, both hands on her hips, pummeling her, pulling her ass back to meet him. The vibrator began moving again, somehow obeying his mental commands, driving in and out in counterpoint to his thrusts. The vibrations were driving her insane.

  Leo began fucking her hard, the wet slap of flesh against flesh loud in the room. The vibrator was pressed up firmly against her clit, increasing in intensity. Golden sparkles dazzled her eyes, Leo’s magic slipping from his grasp to color the air around them.

  She could barely breathe as the orgasm washed over her. It burst inside her, devouring her, all of her muscles clenching against the dark pleasure of two cocks. It was almost more than her body could take.

  “Ruby! Ah, God!” Leo ground against her ass with a harsh groan and came, the wet warmth sliding into her ass. They shook together, his power blinding them with pleasure so intense Ruby damn near passed out.

  He caught himself on his hands as the last of her spasms washed over her. He pulled out, careful not to hurt her. The room drifted away in white mist.

  She was back in the Malmayne house. Her ass hurt, her back hurt, her legs and arms hurt, but damn if she didn’t care. “I need to double-dog dare you more often.” She was still panting, a silly grin on her face.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  She snuggled down into the pillow, content, and answered him the best way she knew how. She wasn’t surprised when he started laughing. After all, he did promise to make her purr.

  “Have you found your father?” Leo stared out the window of the library, hoping Duncan wasn’t going to ask him to pinpoint the gravesite. He would, if necessary, but he’d had enough of death for one day.

  “He’s been found.”

  Leo turned to see Duncan staring into a whiskey glass. The new Lord of the Malmayne clan swirled the amber liquid around in his glass, his gaze sad and thoughtful. “If I had been here none of this would have happened.”

  “No offence, but why weren’t you?”

  Duncan put the drink down carefully on one of the cherry wood tables. His fingers played with the edges of t
he glass. “My father was still my lord. He sent me to France to deal with some issues we were having with one of our businesses there. It turns out it was nothing more than some members of the clan taking more tithe than they were due. I straightened it out and came back as soon as possible.”

  “Why didn’t any of my calls get through?”

  Duncan turned to Jaden. The vampire was currently sprawled on the sofa, his long legs splayed wide, his hands behind his head as he contemplated the ceiling. “I’m not sure, but my cell didn’t work the entire time I was in France. As soon as I left for England it suddenly started working again.”

  “Gremlins?”

  “I’m not sure. There are other reasons it might not have worked. I wasn’t all that close to Paris, after all. It might have simply been poor signal strength.”

  “And it might have been the Deranged Darling’s hirelings.”

  The two men shared a look Leo couldn’t quite interpret. It was as if they were communicating silently. “It’s possible you’re right.” Duncan picked up his whiskey glass and saluted Leo. “I’m glad we were able to help you rescue your lady.”

  “Although he didn’t need all that much help.” Jaden shuddered. “How long is it going to take you to get West out of your ceiling, anyway?”

  Leo grimaced. “Please don’t mention that again.”

  “You could just leave him there. Have the column tricked out in concrete. Paint pictures on it. Raise a toast every year in my name. You know, ding, dong, the asshole’s dead.”

  Leo shook his head at the happily humming vampire. He turned to Duncan, who was smiling down at his bond brother. “Is he always like that?”

  “Frequently.” Duncan took a drink of his whiskey. “What are your plans now?”

  “Now? Learn how to control my leprechaun side, apparently.” He glanced up and saw Ruby step cautiously into the library, her gaze going warily back and forth between Duncan and Jaden. She was dressed in one of his shirts. Luckily it was long enough on her to hit just above her knees. He moved forward, eager to take his mate into his arms. “And plan a wedding.”

  Even as she nestled into his arms, she was arguing. “You’re planning the wedding? Try we’re planning the wedding. And no getting freaky in front of my relatives.” She looked around Leo’s shoulder to glare at Jaden. “I’m talking to you especially, fang boy.”