“Well, I want to eat something now.” He grabs me by the waist and pushes me against the tiled wall.
His body is covering every inch of mine when he plunges his tongue in my mouth at the same time his fingers find my entrance. I’m still sore from yesterday’s marathon, but I welcome his invasion with gusto. He’s fucking me with three fingers now while his thumb plays with my clit.
“Luc … oh my God,” I say when he gives me the chance to speak.
“Sweet Vivienne, I need to be inside of you right this second.” His hand is gone, but it’s quickly replaced by his shaft.
This won’t take long at all.
He lifts one of my legs, allowing him to go deeper at this angle. We’re all slick, thanks to the soap, but somehow, that doesn’t affect Lucca’s ability to fuck me, keep me upright, and drink from one of his blood bags.
The sight of him gulping down all that blood should nauseate me, but how can I be disgusted when he’s looking at me like I’m the most desirable woman he has ever seen?
He tosses the empty bag aside, braces his free hand against the wall, and kisses my shoulder. His lips don’t return to mine, not even when we climax almost at the same time. Here, there’s no pillow to muffle my reaction, and not even the shower can cover my screams of ecstasy.
I’m still on cloud nine when we finally get out of the shower. Since my body is mush, I sit down, wrapped in my towel, and watch Lucca get dressed like he’s a movie star and I’m his biggest fan. He buttons his jeans and then turns to me with a knowing smile.
“You’re not getting dressed?”
“In a minute.”
He grabs his T-shirt and then stops to stare at me with a new glint in his eyes, more serious.
“What?” I sit straighter.
“There are other ways to get what you want.”
Alarm bells ring in my head, and fear drops like lead in my stomach. “I don’t know what you mean.”
His lips become a thin, flat line.
Shit. Does he know who I am? Did he seduce me as some kind of twisted punishment?
“A better life,” he answers finally. “You don’t need to become a Keeper to have that.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Oh. I’m not so sure that’s true. The reality for regulars is very different than that of Bluebloods.” I glance at my hands, feeling ashamed even though I shouldn’t, not because of my background anyway.
I might be living a lie here, but I feel his statement fully. My reality is a far cry from his. Lucca is royalty, a prince. I’m trailer trash.
“I know. But you don’t need to be the product of your environment. It doesn’t matter what kind of shitty family you have or where you grew up.”
This is beginning to sound too close to my life, making me hella uncomfortable. And why is Lucca saying all this anyway? It doesn’t make any sense. He can’t possibly be interested in someone like me, or at least the pretend me—a regular vampire without connections or pedigree.
The apartment’s front door bangs open, announcing Manu’s arrival. I frown. The last time we traded words wasn’t pretty.
“I’d better get going. I kicked Manu out yesterday, so she’s most likely not in the best of moods.”
“Oh, that’s nice. You piss her off, and now, I have to deal with her wrath.” I pucker my lips.
“Don’t do that,” he says.
“Do what?”
“Pout. It’s very … tempting.”
“You’d better be on your way out, Lucca boy,” Manu shouts from the living room.
Grimacing, he glances at me before he disappears through the door.
Shit. I wish I had gotten dressed, so I could have walked out of the apartment with him. I’m not sure if it’s safe for me to be alone with his sister. Too late now.
I grab the first ensemble of clean clothes I can find, and five minutes later, I’m braving the unknown.
Manu is perched on a high stool, checking her long and sharp nails. She doesn’t glance up when she speaks to me. “I hope you got your fill, roomie.”
“Excuse me?”
She meets my gaze. “Lucca doesn’t do repeats. He fucked you, and now, he’s going to move on.”
Her words are poison, and her eyes shine with cruelty and glee. It’s hard not to feel the cut of her remark.
“I don’t care if he moves on. I’m not staying long.”
30
Vivienne
I didn’t cry. That’s good. I’d hate myself if I had let Manu know she’d gotten to me. But I’m so fucking sad about everything. I lost my chance to steal the necklace, and worse, I fell for my target. How stupid can a person be? And how in the world did I let this happen? I’m in love with Lucca Della Morte.
Vivienne Gale in love with a vampire. Inconceivable!
My phone pings, announcing an incoming text. My heart skips a beat, as I immediately think it’s from Lucca. Then, I remember I never gave him my digits, and also, why would he be texting me now? We just saw each other.
You’re also not two teenagers in love, Vivi. Well, maybe you are, but he’s definitely not.
The text is from Karl. He wants to talk, and he’s offering food as a bribe. I smile despite myself. Eating breakfast would be nice, but I want to speak with Damon first, so I head to Keepers class.
Cassie is not waiting for me at the base of the stairs. She took a leave of absence to recover from her ordeal. I’m not sure what excuse she gave the institute’s administration, or her parents, but she certainly didn’t rat Boone out, which makes me furious every time I think about it. When I enter Hanson’s class, Damon is already there, letting out his frustration against a punching bag. Did Cassie tell him what had happened? They’re close, and I suspect they’re more than friends. Hmm, maybe he doesn’t know, or he would have tried something against Boone for sure.
“Hey,” I greet him, keeping my distance from his punches.
He grunts in response.
I don’t have time to ask him anything because Hanson comes in and demands our attention.
“Today, I have a very important announcement to make. As you know, you’re training to one day service a Blueblood family. It can be a difficult transition to some, and maybe you will realize that you’re not cut out for that line of work. In order to avoid wasting time and resources, I’ve come up with an internship program.”
A quick glance around the room tells me that my classmates are as surprised as I am. Good. For once, I don’t feel like a fish out of water.
“A few Bluebloods have volunteered to take one intern each. You will work with them for four weeks for at least three hours a day.”
Ah hell. I don’t want to intern for anyone. Maybe it’s time I say good-bye to Bloodstone for good since it’s clear I won’t be able to accomplish my goal. Besides, the spell concealing my human identity will expire in three weeks. I will have to come up with another way to buy Rikkon’s freedom.
“I don’t need to stress this hard enough: you’d better not screw up during your internship. It’s not your reputations that are at stake but mine. One step out of line, and you’ll find yourself out on the curb.” He takes his time to stare at everyone, but he seems to take extra time to glare at me.
Fucker.
The gym door opens, and the Bluebloods who volunteered for the program enter as if their arrival was coordinated precisely to coincide with the end of Hanson’s speech. I’m watching the parade of pompous vampires with bored disinterest when I see the monster enter last.
Boone.
My blood runs cold in an instant, almost at the same time that my fury unleashes from the pit of my stomach. I glimpse at the daggers meant for us, which are still on display just outside of the tatami, and calculate the likelihood that I can take one and plunge it deep inside Boone’s guts before anyone can stop me. If I were as fast as a vampire, I’d risk it.
Hanson is talking again, but I can barely make out his words. There’s a loud buzz in my ears, the sound of my rage poundi
ng away.
“Vivienne!” Hanson is suddenly in front of my face, glowering.
“What?” I shout back.
“If you can’t be bothered to pay attention in this class, then you have no business being here.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be here,” I grit out.
Movement behind him catches my attention. Boone is coming over. Damn it. If I only had a blade on me.
“It’s okay, Hanson. Four weeks of working for me will set her straight.”
“Uh, what?” I ask.
“Boone has specifically requested you to be assigned to him,” Hanson replies with an air of boredom.
“I’m not working for him,” I sneer.
Hanson grabs me by the arm, digging his fingers in hard. “You will not challenge my authority, little nothing. Get out of my sight before I forget corporal punishment is no longer tolerated.”
He shoves me in Boone’s direction, and he doesn’t miss the opportunity to paw me as well. He holds me just as hard as Hanson did, only his nails are sharper and being near him makes me physically ill.
“Come on, Vivienne. I have a list of things for you to do.”
I make the mistake of glancing in his eyes, and immediately, my resistance begins to wane. No. No. No. Boone is using compulsion on me. Because Lucca or any of the other Bluebloods I’ve dealt with have never resorted to that, I naively thought they simply didn’t have that ability.
My mind is rebelling, but my body willingly goes with Boone. He steers me out of the gym and heads toward the stairs to the catacombs. All my muscles are seizing, and my airway is beginning to close up. Finally, Boone is going to get what he wants. He’ll try to destroy me, just like he did with Cassie.
I look left and right, but the hallway is deserted. I’d scream if I could, but it seems he took that ability from me too. We soon plunge into darkness, and I’m shaking from head to toe by the time we reach the underground level.
No sooner do we get there than Boone shoves me against the wall, holding me by the neck, and he brings his ugly face near mine. The stench emanating from him is awful and permeates everything.
“I’ve finally got you alone, fresh meat, and this time, Lucca won’t be here to save your ass.”
A gust of chilly wind kisses my skin, and then I hear the eerie voice that has called to me twice before. Shit. The ghost from the secret chamber knows I’m here. I glance to my right, trying to gauge the distance to that hidden room. I’d rather take my chances with the wraith than face Boone. If only he’d let me go for a moment, I’d be able to disappear. Aurora said no one was supposed to find that place. Lucca couldn’t.
Boone pinches my chin between his forefinger and thumb, forcing me to look at him. “What are you staring at? No one will come to help—at least, not before I have my fun.”
He releases my neck to rip my top down the middle. I can’t remember what kind of bra I’m wearing, but Boone is momentarily transfixed by my breasts. This is my chance. I don’t have enough room to kick him in the nuts hard enough, but I can stomp on his instep.
He howls, hopping on one foot. I shove him away from me, and thanks to sheer luck, he trips and falls. I bolt toward the secret chamber, hoping I make it there before Boone can catch me.
“You filthy whore! I’m going to make you pay for this.” His angry voice echoes behind me, too close already.
But the ghost’s voice is getting louder, so I must be getting nearer. Something akin to a boulder collides with my back, sending me careening to the stone floor. The impact is jarring. I hit my elbows and end up biting my tongue, drawing blood. Then, Boone yanks my hair back, eliciting a cry from me.
“That’s right; scream, bitch. That only makes me hornier.”
I hear a zipper open, and then Boone is tearing my pants. I’m in a situation that would probably send me to a place that I’d never be able to crawl out from. It’s déjà vu but also much worse. However, a strange sense of calmness takes over me. I don’t know if I’m already losing my mind, but then the specter of a woman materializes in front of me. She’s behind the bars that keep the secret chamber separated from us. If I reached with my arm, I could touch them. There’s a spell that prevents her from crossing. I sense it now.
“Blood,” she says in my head. “Give me your blood, and I will help you.”
I don’t know how I’m going to do that, but then Boone smacks my face against the hard ground. White-hot pain shoots up my forehead, and then something warm pours from my nose. My skull is throbbing in a blinding way, making me unaware of what Boone is doing to my body now. I feel nothing.
“What the hell?” he yells suddenly, getting off me.
A terrible shriek echoes in the tunnel, and then all I hear is Boone’s desperate screams.
The compulsion that trapped my body a moment ago vanishes. I push myself off the floor, getting up on shaky legs. My clothes are in tatters, but I’m still wearing underwear. He didn’t have time to violate me.
He and the specter have vanished from sight, but I can hear his cries from somewhere nearby. I hope the ghost shreds him to pieces.
31
Lucca
I’m being grilled by Saxon about where I spent the night when the loud pounding on our front door interrupts his tirade. He and Ronan trade a glance.
“Are we expecting someone?” Saxon asks.
“Not me.” Ronan shrugs.
Saxon raises an eyebrow in my direction. “Maybe it’s Lucca’s favorite regular.”
“Fuck off.” I throw the closest object within my reach at him, which turns out to be a thick book about social media.
He bends out of the way, and the book ends up knocking one of the TV speakers to the floor.
“Hey, you break it, you replace it,” Ronan complains.
The knock comes again. “Lucca, open up.”
“Who the hell is that?” Saxon reaches the door first, opening it with a hard yank.
Looking past him, I find Damon, a regular vampire who I’ve seen with Vivienne before. I’m off the barstool in a split second.
“What do you want?” Saxon asks.
“I need to speak with Lucca.” The male sounds worried, and he’s positively acting like something terrible happened.
“Let him in, Sax,” I say.
“Boone has Vivienne.” The words blurt out of his mouth without preamble.
“What?” My entire posture changes, and I’m in the male’s face, pulling him closer by the lapels of his jacket. “When did this happen?”
“Ten minutes ago. Boone came over to the gym, and he took Vivienne with him. I’m certain he used compulsion.”
“Where was Hanson during that?” Ronan asks, but I’m no longer interested.
I shove Damon out of my way and run out of the apartment.
“Luc, wait!” Saxon calls after me.
Ten minutes. Vivienne has been at the hands of that motherfucker for ten minutes. He could have done a number of awful things to her in that amount of time. I’m going to rip his head off this time. Fuck the Accords. Fuck everything.
It’s not hard to catch Vivienne’s scent in the air when I reach the institute’s lecture area. I know exactly where Boone took her. To the catacombs. My vision is completely tinged in red. There’s nothing in the world that will keep me from tearing Boone apart limb by limb. As fast as I’m moving, I can’t stop in time when Vivienne steps into the hallway. We collide, and she ends up hitting her face against my chest straight on. I barely feel the impact, but she becomes dead weight in my arms.
“Vivienne. Wake up.” I shake her a little.
There’s dried blood coming out of her nose and an angry mark around her neck in the shape of a male hand. Boone did this to her.
I sense when Saxon and Ronan join me in the hallway and also when they take in Vivienne’s current state. It’s impossible to miss the aggression emanating from them now. I don’t dare to inspect her further, afraid of what I might find. Instead, I pick her up in my arms, cr
adling her tight against my chest.
“Where’s Boone?” Ronan asks.
“I don’t know.”
Manu, Karl, and Aurora come running from the other end of the corridor. When Karl’s expression twists in a look of pure horror, I hold Vivienne tighter while shakes of rage run through my body. I’m torn between finding Boone and taking care of her.
“We’ll find him,” Saxon says as if reading my mind.
He and Ronan run to the catacombs while Aurora steps closer to me. “She needs medical attention.”
Manu takes a deep breath, and then she narrows her gaze. “She’s human.”
So lost in my fury, I didn’t even register the scent of Vivienne’s blood. It should have sparked the bloodlust, but there’s another emotion stronger within me. It’s trumping everything else.
“Lucca, come on. We have to get her out of here,” Aurora urges.
“Let’s go back to my apartment.”
I’m pacing in the living room while Aurora is with Vivienne in my bedroom, doing God knows what. She wouldn’t allow me to stay close, afraid my bloodlust would be triggered at any moment. So far, I’m okay. Maybe it’s the desire to find and kill Boone that’s helping me control my hunger.
Manu is sitting on the couch opposite Karl. The guy hasn’t said a word since we got here. I’m not a mind reader, but I can tell guilt is consuming him. It’s consuming me too. I knew Boone wouldn’t give up on Vivienne. I should have protected her—or better yet, sent her away from Bloodstone. I didn’t do it for my own selfish reasons, and she paid the ultimate price.
“I can’t believe you knew Vivienne was the human thief from Havoc, and you didn’t tell us.” Manu glares at me.
“My friend was just assaulted by a predator, and you’re bitching about not knowing her secret?” Karl snaps. “Seriously, Manu, what is wrong with you?”
She has the decency to show remorse, but Karl is right. Sometimes, her ruthlessness is infuriating. I’m about to add a few angry remarks myself, but then Aurora steps out of my room.
Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1) Page 16
