Trish gave him a brilliant smile. “She wasn’t herself when you first met her. Being close to death mellows Lydia.”
“Try to avoid giving in to the temptation to drain her just to get some peace,” Caitlin told him.
Nathaniel looked shocked. “I would never drain her.” Then he seemed to catch on that Caitlin was teasing him. “That was a joke, right?”
Caitlin was impressed that he’d picked up on it that quickly. Nathaniel’s sense of humor left something to be desired.
Trish leaned into his side and patted his arm. “Yes, she was kidding. Sorry about freaking out when Alek got here.”
Nathaniel gave her a one‑armed hug. “Don’t worry about it. We’re friends. You’ve seen me at my worst more than once.”
Caitlin ordered another drink before rejoining her friends. The band started playing and ended the chance for more uncomfortable conversations. She loved concerts and crowded clubs so she should be having the time of her life, but she wasn’t.
Four songs in, Justin leaned over and spoke close to her ear. “What’s wrong, baby?”
She started to shake her head but decided to be honest. “The crowd is a little overwhelming. I guess my control isn’t as good in large groups, or maybe it’s the drink that’s affecting me.”
“I figured something had to be wrong if you weren’t giving me heart palpitations by going into the mosh pit.”
She smiled and leaned into him.
“Do you want me to take you home?” he asked.
That’s when she caught the faint whispers from someone’s mind.
They should take effect soon. Her drink is almost half empty. I’ll take her out the back way.
“Bastard,” Caitlin hissed.
Justin jerked back, but Caitlin caught his collar and pulled him close. “Not you this time. I think some guy drugged a girl’s drink. I picked up his thoughts, but I’m not sure how to find him.”
“Can you pick him out by his brain waves or something like that?” Justin asked.
Caitlin shook her head. “I wish it were that simple. Well, maybe I could if I knew how. I’ll ask Ivy or Rain about that later.”
“What’s wrong?” Lydia asked.
“Among the things we haven’t talked about yet,” Caitlin said, “I can sort of read minds.”
“Like Ivy?” Lydia asked.
Caitlin nodded. “There’s a guy in here who drugged some woman’s drink, and he’s planning to sneak her out through the back exit. We need to find them.” She didn’t need to read minds to know what Lydia was thinking. The club was crowded and dark. How were they supposed to find one woman in trouble? She had to love Lydia though because her mind was already working through every possibility. How did Caitlin know this? Lydia was mumbling those possibilities out loud.
“I’ll grab Roman, and we can wait by the back exit to stop any couples leaving that way. You, Justin, Trish, Alek, and the jerk check the bar and table areas. They won’t be in the mosh pit, and it’s harder to slip something in a drink if the person is holding it in their hand. Of course, he could have done it while she was in the restroom,” Lydia added more to herself. “Alek can go around and check the people standing. Roman should convince security at the front to stop anyone trying to leave if the woman looks out of it.”
Lydia didn’t wait for anyone to agree with her plan; she just took off and filled in the others before ordering Roman toward the front and heading toward the exit.
Caitlin wandered around the bar area with Justin, terrified they wouldn’t find the woman. In her group sessions, she’d met women who’d been drugged and raped. Many of them felt guilty for putting themselves in the position. Some women had trouble even calling it rape since they hadn’t said no.
“Try listening to his thoughts again,” Justin said close to her ear. “Maybe he’ll think about something that’ll give us an idea of where he’s sitting.”
“There are just too many people,” Caitlin said, feeling overwhelmed. That’s when she saw Alek blocking a man from leaving with an inebriated girl. “Looks like Alek found them.”
They got closer and heard the argument.
“Back the fuck off,” the guy said, “she’s my cousin, and I’m taking her home.” The guy was a huge mountain of muscle, probably six foot four with blonde hair and sea green eyes. If Alek hadn’t been a vampire, Caitlin might have worried about him handling the guy.
“Sure she is,” Alek said. “You didn’t put anything in her drink?”
Caitlin decided to do this the easy way. Unfortunately, she couldn’t read this guy’s thoughts at all. That meant he wasn’t the guy she was looking for, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was innocent.
The guy flashed her a brilliant smile. “Nice try,” he said. “What’s a woman like you doing hanging around a bunch of vampires?”
“Hunter,” Justin said softly, and his hand gripped her arm tightly.
“I don’t give a flying fuck what he is,” Caitlin said as she glared at the guy. “I want to make sure you aren’t planning to take advantage of this woman.”
“He’s my cousin,” the girl said angrily, “and he’s ruining my evening by being overprotective.”
“What’s your name?” the hunter asked Caitlin, staring at her with a strange intensity.
She placed one hand on her hip and glared at him. “I’m not even remotely interested.”
He chuckled. “Come on, you can’t be serious about the vampires. You know we like strong women. They’ll just try to get you knocked up and treat you like a piece of property. You seem too smart to fall for that.”
Justin just shook his head. “You aren’t the smartest hunter if you think you can manipulate Caitlin.”
The hunter looked at Justin. “You’re the doctor, right?”
Justin nodded.
The hunter’s sea green eyes swirled with rage. “Someone slipped something into my cousin’s drink. He’s no longer in the club. My uncle took him out to discuss the matter.”
“I hope he shoves his balls down his fucking throat,” Caitlin said.
“I really do like you,” the hunter said and then looked at his cousin who was near unconsciousness. “Sadly, I have to go.”
The hunter walked away with the drooping girl held close.
Roman approached them. “Have you found the girl?” he asked. “We have security preventing anyone from using the back exit.”
“Fucker needs to have his balls chopped off,” Lydia added.
Alek chuckled. “I’m sure he’ll wish they had been cut off soon.”
Nathaniel and Trish joined them.
“The woman is a hunter,” Justin said. “Her family found her in time.”
“A hunter?” Roman asked with an edge to his voice. “We don’t have hunters in this area.”
“Looks like we do at the moment,” Justin said.
“That guy was nothing like what Drew described in his book,” Caitlin said.
“What was he like?” Trish asked.
“Not the tall blond?” Lydia added.
“That’s the one,” Caitlin said. “He’s kind of hot, but not as intense as I’d expected from Drew’s book. The girl is a total mess. I was picturing more of a badass from the way he wrote about female hunters.”
“The women don’t normally act that way,” Alek explained. “Something was off with her.”
“Well, it’s not our concern,” Roman said and wrapped an arm around Lydia. “I expect an explanation about Andrew’s book. He should not be writing about hunters.”
Justin shook his head. “From what Caitlin said, he’s not writing anything close to reality.”
Roman nodded but still looked concerned. “I need to have another talk with that boy.”
Caitlin was starting to have trouble following the conversation. She was so drained from the emotions and thoughts flowing around her that it was a relief when Justin slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“I’m taking you
home,” he said against her ear.
All she could do was nod.
Chapter Nineteen
The drive home had done a lot to help Caitlin regain her energy. While she wouldn’t say she was fully revitalized, she no longer felt like she was going to collapse.
Justin helped her out of the Range Rover and slipped an arm around her waist. “Do you need help getting inside?”
She stepped in front of him and placed both hands on his chest before leaning in to kiss him. Justin let her control the kiss for only a short time before he gripped the back of her hair and took full possession of her mouth. His tongue rubbed against hers, and she wrapped one of her legs around his hip to get closer to his erection.
Justin reached his other hand down to grip her ass. Tearing his mouth away, he spoke in a low rumbling voice. “I would tell you what I’m planning to do to you, but that always results in someone interrupting us. Trust me when I say you’ll be screaming my name in less than twenty minutes.”
Caitlin’s breathing became even more labored. “Then we should probably go into the house.”
Justin took her hand and led her into the kitchen. He grabbed one of the chairs from the table and propped it up against the wall.
“Should I undress,” Caitlin asked as she fingered the lacing on the leather bustier.
Justin shook his head. “Stand in front of the chair and brace your hands against the back. Don’t turn around or I’ll blindfold you,” he said.
Caitlin smiled and did what he said. That’s when his palm smacked against the tight fabric of her jeans. The sound and the sharp sting made her jump a little, and she released the chair. Justin’s palm made contact with her backside again.
“Don’t let go of that chair again,” he ordered and massaged her ass as she gripped the chair. His other hand reached around to loosen the lacing on her bustier and allow him access to her nipples. In this position her nipples were even more sensitive, and she moaned as Justin alternated between the two. He rubbed them gently at first and then pinched one hard. Caitlin expected to cry out in pain; instead she let out a whimper of pleasure.
When she tried to turn toward Justin he smacked her ass again. “I told you not to turn around. That’s the last warning you get before I blindfold you.”
Justin reached forward to unzip her jeans and slide one hand into her panties. His finger hit just the right spot on her clit, and then he moved that finger in a circular motion that drove her to the edge.
“More,” she pleaded.
“What’s that, baby?” Justin asked.
“I need more of you,” she said.
“I need more of you too,” Justin said and pulled his hand out of her panties so he could slide her jeans down her legs.
“Bend forward a little more,” he said, and Caitlin could hear his zipper sliding down.
As she bent forward a shudder of lust rocked her body. Then Justin’s cock was at her entrance, and she tried to push back against him. He slapped her ass so hard she yelped.
“Behave,” he ordered. “This is the only time you ever take orders from me, and I’m not giving that up.”
Caitlin smiled and got ready to respond with a sarcastic line when he thrust all the way into her. The jeans around her knees held her legs close together causing her to feel impossibly stretched.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
Caitlin peered over her shoulder so he could see her disbelief. “Are we going to have small talk, or are you planning to fuck me?”
Justin chuckled. “Oh I’m definitely going to fuck you. I wanted to make sure you were okay in this position, but I should have known you’d tell me if you weren’t.”
Those were the last words spoken as Justin began to thrust into her slowly. Caitlin soon found herself completely lost in the rhythm and wasn’t sure how she stayed on her feet. Finally, her climax hit so hard she slammed back against Justin in time with the pulsing waves of release. Justin found his own release shortly after her.
She let out a little squeal when Justin tossed her over his shoulder with her jeans still around her knees and gave her ass a light smack. “Hey! I can walk upstairs.”
He chuckled. “Why would I let you do that when I can carry you like this and look over to see that gorgeous backside of yours?”
Caitlin sighed. “You really are a prick, but your mine.”
Chapter Twenty
Justin wasn’t sure what woke him, but he was suddenly wide awake and on alert. Something wasn’t right. Quietly slipping out of bed and sliding on a pair of sweatpants, he left the room. That’s when he heard footsteps in the foyer. A lot of people had access to the house, so any one of more than a dozen people could be downstairs, but he was pretty sure he knew who it was. Before heading down he sent a text message to let Alek know about his late night visitor and locked Caitlin in the bedroom.
When he got to the bottom of the stairs, his suspicions were confirmed.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
The woman standing before him could be mistaken for an angel. Golden hair floated around her face like a halo, and her deep blue eyes were rimmed with thick dark lashes. A delicate bone structure and porcelain skin finished off the deceptive picture of innocence, but this woman was far from innocent.
“Is that any way to greet your auntie?” she asked with a slight southern twang which had been more pronounced twenty‑three years earlier.
Justin crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited. Phoebe liked playing games. If he wasn’t useful to her, he might be afraid she was planning to kill him. While he fit her profile, he was one of the few members of the family who was safe. Phoebe Draksel wasn’t likely to kill him, but he wasn’t stupid enough to turn his back on the crazy bitch.
She raised her right arm, exposing the nasty gash. The sleeves on the billowing coat had concealed her injury. “This needs stitches, and I need more supplements,” she said.
“Let’s go back to my office,” Justin said and motioned for her to walk in front of him.
With a pleasant smile, she pulled a gun from the pocket of her coat and pointed it at him. “I don’t think so,” she said. “After you stitch up my arm, we’ll get your things and then you’ll come with me.”
“Or what?” he asked, trying to sound bored. “Are you planning to shoot me? Who’ll take care of you when you get sick if I’m dead?”
Soft lilting laughter echoed through the room. “I’m sure Roman’s already decided to kill me. Surely you realize that, and you know how much I value you.”
One tiny well‑manicured hand reached out to stroke his cheek, and Justin couldn’t resist the urge to move his head away from her touch. His reaction only made her laugh again.
“Your choices are simple, Nephew; come with me or I’ll kill you. If you don’t come with me, you’re no longer of any use to me. Let’s go stitch my arm, pack up the medical supplies, and then I’ll get you secured in the trunk of my car.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The sound of laughter woke Caitlin. That sickeningly sweet laugh had to be bad news; it was straight out of a horror movie. Justin’s phone sat on the bedside table, but he was nowhere to be seen. Checking his messages, she found one to Alek telling him that Phoebe was probably in the house. Alek had messaged back ordering Justin to stay in his room and guard Caitlin until he got there.
Justin took orders about as well as she did, so instead of waiting in the room he’d headed down to deal with that crazy bitch alone. Remembering what Justin had said about Phoebe being a hypochondriac, she was sure they’d be in his office. While Alek was on his way, Caitlin had no intention of sitting around and waiting for the men to take care of everything. She needed to find a way to get to Justin’s office undetected, meaning she needed to talk to someone who knew the layout of the house much better than she did.
Since Nathaniel was more likely to pick up a call from Justin in the middle of the night, she used Justin’s phone to make the call.
“Nathaniel, it’s Caitlin. I need to get to Justin’s office without going through the main part of the house. I also need a weapon that I can access on the way there. Preferably one close to Justin’s room.”
“Whatever he’s done this time, don’t kill him,” Nathaniel said more coherently.
“Phoebe’s here, and the idiot went down to deal with her alone,” Caitlin explained.
There was a female voice in the background, followed by Nathaniel’s curt reply. “Family emergency, I need to head home.”
Then she heard the rustling of clothes. So much for not being a man‑whore. “Get dressed after you give me directions.”
“Don’t even think about going anywhere near Phoebe,” Nathaniel ordered. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Either tell me a more stealthy way to get to Justin or I’ll grab a knife from the kitchen and head through your echoing foyer.” No way in hell was she leaving Justin with that crazy bitch for twenty minutes.
After a long‑suffering sigh and what was probably cursing in Russian, Nathaniel gave her directions to a sitting room just down the hall from Justin’s office. He also told her where to find a dagger, which he warned wouldn’t be terribly useful in a fight.
Dressed in jeans, a t‑shirt, and her ass kicking boots, Caitlin made her way down the back stairs. The dagger was in the desk in the sitting room, and Caitlin was pretty sure it was more for show than anything else. It would still be better than going in unarmed.
Creeping down the hallway, she heard voices in Justin’s main examination room, but they were too muffled to make out what was being said until she was just outside the room. Standing outside the door, she had a perfect view of Justin and Phoebe.
Justin was stitching a cut on the arm of the woman Caitlin suspected must be Phoebe. Her appearance itself screamed innocent, but the gun in her hand was anything but. There was a strangely serene smile on her face as Justin meticulously stitched her arm.
“Don’t look so grumpy, Justin,” Phoebe said in a sweet voice. “We’ll have a wonderful time together. I never noticed how attractive you are. Sadly, I can’t be with Andrei anymore. I suppose you’ll have to keep me company.”
The Vampire Will See You Now (Psy-Vamp Book 4) Page 12
