by Terry Spear
Another took his place.
She struck him with her knife, slicing across his hand. When he favored it with his other, she dug into her pocket for the car key. After pulling it out, she punched the button. Before she could open the door, the last of the hosts captured her wrist.
Twisting around, she kneed him in the jewels. Neat trick, and they never learned unless they’d received a proper demonstration. He clutched his crotch as she jerked the car door open.
Four more hosts exited the house. She locked the car door and fumbled to get the key in the ignition. One of the men brandished a knife. If they cut her tires, she and Lila would never get away.
The engine roared to life, and Crystal gunned the car, propelling it down the road. Soon, a black SUV tailed them. Damn. Already twilight, the night would soon be upon them.
She reached over and touched Lila’s hand. “Lila, will you be okay?”
Lila turned to face her. “Why couldn’t I see what hideous monsters they are?”
Crystal refocused her attention on her driving. “They don’t want the host to have any memories of their family. It interferes with their designs on you and others like you. He only allowed you to remember how he’d protected you from the bully that you’d dated.”
“He killed him, too.”
“Yes, and in your mind, he freed you from a monster, who might have killed you. But your family was different. He couldn’t have shown you they deserved to die, too. But once he left, his mind control over you vanished.”
Tears rolled down Lila’s cheeks. “What will happen to me now?”
“Did you join with Kostya?”
Lila nodded her head slightly.
Crystal took a deep breath. “Then he impregnated you.”
“Maybe not. Perhaps it didn’t take.”
“Possibly.” But in her heart, Crystal figured he’d have joined with Lila when the time was right. The hunters would want her dead, whether she was a vampire or not, if she carried one in her womb. And the vampires that were turned through blood bonding, would want her dead to keep from having another vampire of the womb infiltrate their family again.
No way could she return to Robert’s house with Lila. But where else could she go that would be safe?
48
Another black SUV pulled in front of them from a side street. Crystal’s throat grew dry. Her whole body still thrummed, filled with the rush of adrenaline that coursed through it in anticipation of another clash with the vampires and their hosts. They’d try to box her in somewhere. Disable her vehicle. Strand her and Lila until it grew dark, and Nicolai could come for them.
“You haven’t been turned, have you, Lila? The sunlight doesn’t seem to bother you.”
“No, Kostya didn’t turn me. He wanted me to continue to serve as a host for a good while longer. I think he thought I’d still be able to convince you to join Nicolai.” She brushed away the tears. “I still love Kostya. What’s wrong with me?”
“Vampires have a strong claim over hosts’ hearts. Even when you can see the evil they’ve committed, it’s hard to break the bond you’ve had with them.”
“Do you feel this way about Nicolai?”
Crystal swallowed hard as she considered getting them to safety. “No, Lila. Hold on. We’ve got to get to a safe place for tonight.” She twisted the wheel to the right and detoured down a street, then turned right again at the next one.
She could have used Thomas’s sniper rifle to aid her.
Lila looked back. “He’s still behind us.”
“Yes, and I’m sure he’s calling in our moves to the one who was in front of us.”
“Where are we going?”
Crystal wasn’t sure she could trust Lila totally. Could the vampires still read her mind or control her? She was human, and humans were easily controlled. Most likely, both Nicolai and Dimitri were strong enough to do so.
But Crystal couldn’t abandon her. Then she thought of the hunter’s house whose wife had been killed by the blond-haired male vampire. She turned left at the next street. With constant switchbacks, she headed for the house.
“Where are we going?” Lila asked again.
“Somewhere safe, I hope.”
Crystal pulled into the dark alley beside the house. No sign of either of the vehicles had plagued her for a good twenty minutes. She jumped out of the car, then hurried to Lila’s side. “Come on, Lila. We must hurry.”
Lila moved as if in slow motion, still in shock.
Crystal locked the car doors, then led Lila to the window she’d found open before. It was open again.
She hesitated, until she saw headlights approaching from a parallel street. “Come on, Lila. Get inside.”
She helped Lila climb into the window. Then she joined her and shut it tight and locked the latch.
First one, then the other SUV pulled in front of the house and parked. Eight men piled out of the cars, the doors slamming one after another. “They know we’re here,” Crystal said under her breath. “But why are they making no effort to come in?” She rubbed her arms. They’d report back to Nicolai once the sun finished setting, then he’d come for her.
Lila stared out the window. “What will they do to me?”
“The other vampires won’t want you alive, Lila,” Crystal said, then took her hand and led her into the kitchen. She flipped on the light switch. “Sit here, and I’ll make sure the house is locked up tight.”
Crystal checked the kitchen window. Locked. She ran back into the living room and checked the main picture window. Locked.
The hosts stood in the front yard just waiting. For what?
She turned to go toward the bedrooms, but Lila stood in the living room, staring at the picture window. Crystal dashed for her, then snatched her arm. After turning on the light in the hallway, she led her down it. “We’re going to check the rooms and make sure the windows are all locked.”
Crystal pulled Lila into the first of the rooms. She turned on the light, then checked the window in the bedroom while Lila remained standing in the doorway. The window was locked.
Lila giggled.
Frowning at her, Crystal said, “What’s the matter, Lila?”
“Nothing.” She chuckled again.
Was she hysterical?
“Lila, I want you to lie down. I’m going to cover you with some blankets. I think you’re in shock and—”
“He wants you badly, mistress. He comes for you. This time you can’t keep him out.”
Lila would be her downfall.
Kostya no longer controlled her. But someone else did. Who? Nicolai? Dimitri?
Crystal’s heart sank to an all-time low. “Is he speaking to you?”
Lila’s face brightened in a smile.
“Do you remember about your family, Lila?”
“They’re gone.”
“Where?”
She shrugged. “Left me behind. But I have family here. They love and protect me.”
Whoever now controlled her, wiped the memories of her family from her mind again. The realization forced Crystal to weigh her options in a hurry. She wouldn’t be safe in the same house with the host. She was torn between caring for the woman and hating her for putting Crystal in a worse bind than before. Lila would no doubt let them in.
Crystal considered her cane. If she could knock Lila out, she could slip back out of the house, and maybe make her escape in her car. She breathed in deeply. No matter how much she longed for her freedom, she couldn’t hit the woman. Lila couldn’t help what she’d become.
Ropes. If Crystal could tie her up, she could still get away. Or she could slip out the window, get to her car, and leave. She bolted for the den window, leaving Lila behind. When she grabbed the sill and peered outside, she saw two of the hosts letting the air out of her tires. All she could do was remain in the house and keep Lila from letting Nicolai in.
Crystal kept her cane readied as she dashed back down the hall where Lila watched her curiously. She took L
ila’s hand and returned her to the bedroom. Keeping her cane readied, Crystal pulled drawers open with her left hand. Nothing that could be used as rope. She motioned to the hallway. “Step back and walk to the right down the hall.”
Crystal followed her, then motioned to the room to the right.
Lila peeked in and smiled. “Bathroom.” She pushed the light switch up.
Crystal entered the small narrow room after her. A sliding glass door provided privacy to the bathtub. And a double sink and commode filled the rest of the room. A small window sat high above. Crystal walked past Lila and found the window locked.
Lila grinned at her. “He’s so pleased you’ll be his tonight.”
“I won’t be his, Lila. Ever.”
She made her way past the woman and moved into the hallway.
“Come on.” Crystal motioned for Lila to join her.
She just grinned back at her.
A spicy scent wafted in the air, instantly filling Crystal with dread. She whirled around.
Dimitri stared back at her. His dark eyes penetrated hers while his lips turned up a smidgen. “Expecting someone else?” He tilted his head to the side slightly, as if emphasizing both the question and his amusement at seeing her so surprised. “I waited for you in the next bedroom, but got tired of killing time.”
He grabbed her wrist before she could free her sword from the cane. She turned and looked out the window. The last light had already faded from the sky. Panicked, she twisted her wrist free, but he captured her other wrist.
Before she could react, her world turned black as the wind whipped in her face and instantaneously, her vision cleared, but her disorientation continued as she considered the black sofas in a house she’d never visited before.
She twisted her head, looking for signs of Lila amongst the vampires and their hosts. Seeing none, she turned to Dimitri. His dark hair was neatly tied back. His black shirt was open showing a smidgen of dark hair against his pale chest. She looked up to see his dark eyes observing her every move.
His lips and eyes smiled slightly. “Are you surprised?”
“Where’s Lila?”
“I would think you’d be angry with her because she wanted you to join with us. Are you still concerned for her?”
“She can’t help herself.”
“Yes, well I can see you’re not like your kind at all. They wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her. She led you to me and your ultimate capture. Every move you made, she relayed to us. Any other hunter would have killed her for their own self-preservation.”
Crystal clenched her teeth. Lila couldn’t help herself. Nothing short of Lila’s trying to hurt a hunter would make Crystal turn against the woman.
Dimitri raised his brows. “Actually, I expected you to ask about someone else.”
“You mean Nicolai?” Heart hammering, she wrenched her arm free from Dimitri.
“Yes.” He touched her lips with the tip of his finger. She stepped back from him. “I thought he would have been uppermost on your mind.”
“Does he know you’ve brought me here?”
“Why spoil the fun? Losers, keepers. That sort of thing.”
Her mouth dropped open. She couldn’t believe Dimitri’s words. “You can’t mean to keep me for your own…against your brother’s wishes.”
“Your brothers…well, your whole family turned against you. Happens all the time. Nicolai will get over it when he finds someone else. He has forever, you know.”
Nicolai cleared his throat as he strode into the room. “Really?”
49
Dimitri possessively shoved Crystal behind him. “I’m the eldest, therefore the head of the family, Nicolai. She’ll be mine.”
Nicolai stood several feet away from them dressed in black trousers and a black silk shirt with blousy sleeves. They cuffed at the wrists making him look like a well-dressed pirate, powerful, sexy, and lethal. And no one to mess with. Crystal couldn’t believe Dimitri had the balls to go against his brother.
He shifted his gaze from Dimitri to her. “Go upstairs and wait for me there.”
The only place she was going was outside and away from all this. No way could she handle the two brothers at once. She headed for the door, her cane in hand, but several vampires blocked her escape. They were better prepared for her this time.
All were male, dressed in black and had their long silky hair tied back in ponytails. They didn’t appear to be fledglings. They seemed intent on her actions, though Dimitri and Nicolai’s animosity toward each other was bound to heat up and distract them.
She faced Nicolai.
He lowered his chin. “Go upstairs.” His words were spoken with a hint of a threat.
She yanked her sword out of the cane.
He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. “Very well.”
She expected him to attack her, but Dimitri lunged at his brother instead. Shocked to see the anger, she fell back out of their way.
Both bared their teeth, and then Dimitri sank his canines into Nicolai’s shoulder. Nicolai gagged with the pain, but didn’t scream out. Was he trying to brave it for her sake? Her stomach sickened as his shoulder dripped with blood. She’d never seen two vampires fighting one another. In fact, no other hunter had probably witnessed such a spectacle. Would one of the brothers kill the other? If so, maybe she could end the other’s life and free herself from this nightmare.
She eyed the vampires who guarded the door. Though they’d been watching Nicolai and Dimitri, as soon as she turned to look at them, they focused on her. Nicolai must have given them the order that no matter what, she wasn’t leaving the house.
The determination on their faces, their set jaws and fixed gazes told her even if she killed the remaining brother, she’d never get out of the house alive. Not without other hunters to help her.
She dashed across the living area toward what appeared to be the kitchen, but three vampires appeared in front of her. None of these were fledglings. Their swift movement and concentration showed they were stronger vampires. She swallowed hard, trying to douse the hopelessness that threatened to undo her.
Something broke with a crash. She shifted her attention to Nicolai and Dimitri. Nicolai held Dimitri’s throat pinned against the wall with his hand, but a crystal table lamp had been knocked off in the process and lay shattered on the floor.
Dimitri clawed at Nicolai, trying to get free, then stamped his feet against the wall, and shoved Nicolai back. This time Nicolai sank his teeth into Dimitri’s throat and tore.
Crystal’s legs wobbled. One of the vampires standing behind her grabbed her arm to steady her. A taller vampire seized her sword. She lunged forward to retake it as the other yanked her back. The vampire that held her sword, ran forward with it and shoved the ivory hilt into Nicolai’s outstretched hand.
He was going to kill his own brother with a hunter’s weapon? Her sword?
Dimitri’s eyes widened. He hissed, but as Nicolai drew the sword back to thrust it into his brother’s heart, the vampire who still held her arm, transported her upstairs.
She blinked her eyes, then stared at the black drapes covering the bed. She ran for the doorway. Two vampires appeared. This time their somber faces smiled back at her. She was finally Nicolai’s. Is that what they assumed? She’d kill herself first. She opened both wrist blades.
The vampires didn’t react.
She’d kill herself after she killed them. She swung her hand at the shorter of the two, but a hand caught her wrist from behind.
Expecting it to be the vampire who transported her to the room, she discovered it was Nicolai instead, and she let out an involuntary gasp.
He bowed his head to the others, silently ordering them out of the room, and with smirks on their smug faces, they quickly left, the last one shutting the door behind him.
“If you’re wondering why no one protected Dimitri,” Nicolai said smoothly, “what he did wasn’t honorable. I’d claimed you, and unless I was dead, he had no
right to try to take you from me.”
She didn’t care. Nothing mattered but that this one was dead also.
Grabbing her other wrist, Nicolai restrained her, then maneuvered her against the wall. “You’ll have to remove those knives of yours before you join me in bed.”
His shoulder dripped with blood and the bloodlust filled his eyes. She attempted to wriggle free, but his long fingers gripped her wrists firmly like a steel vise.
“Did you like what you saw of me earlier today?” He licked his lips. “I had you well distracted for a few moments, didn’t I?” His mouth curved up.
He kissed her mouth and moved his body against hers, rubbing his hard desire against her. She closed her eyes. Their breathing accelerated. The only one she wanted to be this close and intimate with was Robert.
Nicolai ran his warm tongue down her neck. Again, she squirmed against his hold. His hot breath came heavier as he fought biting her. “We’ve learned you can’t poison us, my love. But to enjoy our joining, you must relax. With humans, it’s easy to control their minds and put them at ease. With you, I cannot do this. But if you don’t relax, you’ll suffer. I want the experience to be pleasurable for both of us.”
“You can’t do it then, Nicolai. I could never take a bite from you or any other without fearing it.”
He jerked her hands above her head and held on with one hand. His fingers massaged her breasts, making her heart stutter. “Maybe not now, but later, when you’ve learned you’re one of us, you’ll enjoy it. But I won’t wait for that day.”
He grasped her chin and turned her head up and to the side. “Relax, Crystal. I would drug you to help calm you, but it would affect me, too, once I’ve tasted your blood. That wouldn’t do for what comes afterward.”
She couldn’t relax. Her muscles twitched with tension. Her stomach tightened with fear. Now she realized dying at the bite of a vampire was preferable than living with his bite mark imprinted on her neck forever, even if he couldn’t turn her. But what if he could?
Her struggles increased. He frowned at her. “Why is it you always do the opposite of what I tell you to do?”
