Trey's head nearly fell out of his hands. “Holy goblin’s nuts. Did you kill her?”
Bram shook his head. “No, but I forced her wrist into my mouth and sealed my own destiny. Looking back on it, I did not force her to do anything—she was much stronger than I. She knew what she was doing.”
Hmm, this Meg character sounded interesting. Interesting enough to be the heroine of my book? “This woman...” I started. “What became of her?”
“She disappeared. I had heard she had been killed by another vampire, but I do not know for certain.”
“So, you wouldn't be able to answer particulars about her?”
He shook his head and frowned. “I thought your book was about me, Sweet?”
I nodded. “It is, but I thought she sounded interesting as a...heroine.”
Bram slowly smiled. “I prefer the idea of the fairy love interest.”
A definite scoff came from Knight's direction, but I ignored it. “I never said there was going to be a fairy in it,” I grumbled but ticked off the last question on my sheet.
Then I eyed the question I’d always wanted to ask Bram. “Okay, about your name,” I started.
Bram sighed. “I was born long before the author of Dracula was even a thought,” he said, sounding very put out. “For all I know, Mr. Stoker was named for me.”
I laughed, thinking Bram’s narcissism knew no bounds. “Well, that puts the lid on a mystery I’d wondered about since I met you.”
The phone rang, and Trey grabbed it. Holy Hades, it was like he was my permanent roommate or something.
He handed the phone to me.
Before I could say hello, Dagan's voice interrupted me. “Gotta little red filly here I think you want to meet.”
Before I could reply, he hung up.
FIFTEEN
After promising Bram a favor, which I really didn't want to do, he agreed to stay with Trey as Knight and I headed for Dagan's. Trey probably would've been fine on his own, considering the creature was at Dagan's, but it's always better to be prepared, and who knew if whoever was controlling the creature might still be after Trey.
“Dulcie, whatever happens tonight, you need to go with it,” Knight said in a hard voice.
“What's that supposed to mean?” I asked, being careful not to pull my attention from the road. Driving and arguing were not a good mix.
He shrugged and strained against the leather vest I'd created for him. I was sporting a red vinyl bodysuit that was confining as all hell. This costume stuff was really getting tiring.
“It just means that last time we went to Dagan's, you weren't a good actress. Put on a better show this time.”
My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “So, what, if you try to have sex with me, I'm just supposed to let you?”
Knight chuckled. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“You're impossible.”
The smirk dropped off his lips and imagining some serious topic was about to rear its unwanted head, I returned my attention to the red light before me.
“Just follow my lead,” he said. “You know I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation, but you need to trust me.”
I couldn't remember the last time I'd trusted anyone. Maybe Sam, but that was about it.
I sighed, long and hard.
“It's an order, Dulcie, let me handle this.”
I inhaled deeply. One, breathe out. Two, breathe in. Three… I so missed Quillan's mode of management. Knight was more a dictator than a boss.
I pulled into Payne's parking lot and turned off the car, refusing to even glance at Knight. I opened the door and dropped to my feet. My five inch hooker heels clicked against the asphalt, sounding like someone chewing gum with a broken jaw.
Knight grabbed my arms and made me face him. I couldn't help the gasp that lodged in my throat. I forced my eyes to hold his which were roiling with excitement. So, Knight enjoyed his work? I guess the same could be said for me. Though, I wasn't exactly climaxing to have to share the spotlight with him.
“Trust me, Dulcie, I don't want to see you hurt.”
I just nodded, repressing the urge to battle him. His hands lingered on my arms a bit longer than necessary before I shrugged out of his embrace and started for the back door. Who the hell did he think he was? I could take care of myself.
I buzzed the speaker box.
“He's in room one,” the voice announced, and the door opened.
Knight grabbed my hand and stepped in front of me, guiding me down the dark hallway. I swallowed a protest and steeled myself for the fact that I'd be taking orders tonight. Even if Knight was my boss' boss, I couldn't say it softened the fact.
Knight dropped my hand and weaved through the intricate passageways of Payne like he had a demon-locating compass. When we reached the first door, Knight hesitated, his hand clenching the doorknob. “Are you ready?” he whispered.
I nodded, and he opened the door. It was darker inside the room than it was in the hallway, and the smell of smoke trailed through the air, splashed by the scent of vanilla candle.
A moan interrupted the quiet, and Knight closed the door behind us.
“Ah, our guests have arrived,” Dagan said, his voice coming from the farthest corner of the room.
There was a soft swoosh, and a flame appeared, brilliant in the dark. The orb of light cast shadows across Dagan’s face, causing his usual scary looks to appear all the more menacing. With an eerie grin, he held the candle high.
“Dulcie, how good of you to come.” He glanced at Knight. “And I see you've brought your bodyguard.”
I inhaled, reminding myself I needed to be a good actress. “Dagan, sorry we're late.”
He rested the candle in a silver holder and held a match up to it, the match igniting as soon as it kissed the flame. He brought the burning match to a candelabra, and lit the four remaining candles. Walking the candelabra closer to us, like a butler escorting us through a haunted house, he set it on a shelf next to me. It lit the entire room in a yellow glow that danced against the walls, like a myriad of undulating ghosts.
My eyes fell past Dagan and landed on the creature that lay sprawled against a velvet covered sofa, the candle wax cooling and hardening on her torso. She was completely naked except for a pair of high heels. Wiggling against the sofa, she acted as though the wax were tickling rather than burning her. Sensing my attention, she glanced up and smiled at me. Then she stood, and her exaggerated heels made her as tall as Knight.
The green-eyed monster known as Jealousy sunk its fangs into my otherwise sensible constitution, and I wanted to kick myself. She was beautiful. Her breasts were heavy and her waist tiny, flaring into broad hips with long, graceful legs. She looked like she'd just walked off a Victoria's Secret catwalk. I had to remind myself she'd eaten Fabian, Guy and Tad without a second thought.
Only inches from me, she paused and ran a long fingernail against my cheek as I shuddered internally. “You've brought the beautiful fairy for me to play with,” she whispered to Dagan.
He just laughed, the bastard. The creature turned from me and let her gaze run down Knight's incredible body.
“Your lady is very,” she glanced at me again. “Sexy.”
Knight's voice was low and controlled. “I know.”
“Will you share her?” the creature asked, like I was a bag of M&Ms.
My eyes immediately found Knight's, and in their steel depths, they promised protection. I had to trust him. Much as I didn't want to, I had to.
“Will Dagan share you?” he asked, and my heart deflated as if it'd been stuck with a needle.
He's acting, Dulcie! I reprimanded myself. It's all an act, you moron!
The woman laughed a high and harmonious sound. My hands fisted. The incredible desire to arrest her right there nearly defeated my more sensible inclinations. If we were to arrest her, it would destroy any chance we had of finding her keeper. Whoever had called her from the Netherworld still
owned her. Even if that meant death, she wouldn't reveal who her master was anytime soon. We'd have to do it the old fashioned way and follow her. Which meant I was probably going to be here for a very long time.
So, exactly how much acting would I need to do? And how far would it go? If this creature intended to bed one or both of us, could I go through with it? Could Knight? How much did I want to apprehend her master?
Dagan came up behind her. “Shall we give them a show?” he asked with a sibilant hiss.
She nodded, a slow, mysterious smile spreading over her face. I almost gasped when I felt Knight take my arm and pull me into the hard length of his chest. He grabbed my hair and shifted it over one side of my neck, his finger accidentally grazing my breast. My heart caught in my throat, and I swallowed hard. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against him, as if to remind me that I wasn't in this alone, that he was there with me.
Dagan pushed the creature back onto the sofa. With a leer, he turned to the corner of the room, opening what looked like a cupboard. Inside were paddles, whips, chains and other things I couldn't begin to categorize.
My heart started up again.
He approached her with a long piece of chain with clamps at both ends. The creature's breath caught, as she arched her back in excitement. Dagan ran the chain across her throat and over each of her breasts as she moaned. Then he pinched her nipples until they stood at attention. With a low chuckle, he clamped them.
Dagan eyed me over his shoulder and smiled. It was then that I realized he'd saved all of this for me. He could've easily done what he'd wanted with her and then called us. But no, he wanted me to suffer through it. He was probably enjoying my misery more than anything else. The fiery breath of anger cascaded over my skin, but I refused to grant it power.
Damn Dagan to Hades.
He jerked on the clamp chain, and the creature stumbled to her feet. Then he walked her to the cabinet and pulled out a paddle. He ran the paddle down her stomach. Grabbing her hair roughly, he yanked her head back and ran his tongue down her neck. With a vicious shove, he pushed her over the sofa, forcing her head into the pillows.
Then he turned to face me, and I wished he'd just finish his show. The creature moaned out as if to say she agreed with me.
“Shut up,” Dagan growled, and a tremor of fear wound itself in my gut. His eyes were on me.
I leaned up against Knight, but I was already so close to him, I couldn't possibly get any closer. Dagan dropped the paddle on the sofa next to the creature and turned toward me. His eyes burned with delight.
“Dulcie, Dulcie,” he whispered and caressed my jaw line with his finger, leaving my skin stinging in his wake. Knight grabbed my waist and tightened his grip as if to remind me I needed to trust him and more so, that I better not blow our cover.
Dagan only stopped advancing when his nose was millimeters from mine. His lower body pressed into me like we were Siamese twins. He brought both hands to my shoulders and never took his eyes from mine as he reached for my breasts. He plied them with his fingertips as I gritted my teeth to keep from throwing him off me.
He chuckled and brought one hand lower still, trailing from one side of my stomach to the other like a driver on a winding road. When it looked like he was going to push his fingers between my thighs, Knight's hand blocked his before I had the chance.
Dagan dropped his hand with a grin and returned to the creature who was impatiently awaiting him. He grabbed the paddle and whacked her four times. When he pulled the paddle away, her ass bore the red marks, but she was sighing as if he were pampering her, not beating her.
Bile filled my throat. I didn't know how much more of this I could take. But, it appeared the night was young. There still hadn't been any sex. Hades be damned.
“Blood,” the woman muttered and grabbed my attention.
Dagan smacked her with the paddle again, then dropped it on the sofa beside her and grabbed her hair, jerking her up. She turned to face him, and he crushed his mouth against hers. I dropped my eyes wishing this night would end.
“Blood,” the creature said again.
Dagan returned to the prop closet and produced a small dagger. At the sight of the weapon, I bucked. Knight held me against him until I felt like I was stuck in dried cement.
Dagan walked back to the creature and held the weapon just above her collar bone. With a slow sweep, he cut a straight line through her skin. The woman cried out in ecstasy as her blood poured from the wound, trailing down over her breasts to her stomach.
Knight shifted me to the side and approached them, his eyes riveted on the blood trailing down her body. Before I could even guess his intentions, he ran his hand through the red liquid.
My stomach churned. What the hell was he doing? I shivered in spite of myself and wondered if she had somehow bewitched him? But, no, I would've felt her magic had she tried. Maybe Knight liked the sight of blood? It wasn't like I knew that much about him. Maybe he was as psychotic as they were.
The creature grabbed Knight's hand and held it to her breast, encouraging him to continue rubbing her. But he pulled away from her, the strangest of expressions on his face—like he'd been caught rubbing the blood of a brutal killer all over her breasts.
His eyes settled on mine, and he strode across the room, looking like a plundering Titan. I plastered myself against the wall, fighting the incredible need to vacate the room. Then it occurred to me, what if Knight was working with the creature?
Maybe Dagan was in on it too? If so, I was as good as dead. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. My heart hammered in my chest until the creature’s moans were drowned out by the blood throbbing in my ears.
I'd been such a fool, keeping all of this from Quillan, trusting Knight as blindly as a mole. And his ANC I.D? That had been real—there was no way it’d been a fake. So, Knight had the ANC office tricked just as easily as he’d duped me. I guess we’d all fallen for his charismatic charm.
I shrunk against the wall. Knight's face was one of a statue, his eyes emotionless. Hades be damned, he was the creature's master, he had to be! It had been right under my nose all along and, I'd been too distracted to see it.
With his clean hand, he pulled me against him. I shoved him aside, wanting nothing more than to let him know I'd figured out his little plan. But, if I did that, I might not be leaving this room—alive anyway.
Knight resumed his place against the wall and positioned me in front of him. I'm sure he was getting miles out of forcing me to watch his little pet play with Dagan and after that, he'd probably order her to eat me. For now, I’d just play along. But when the opportunity arose, I 'd be ready for them. I knew I could take the creature; my magic was strong enough. But Dagan and Knight?
I'd definitely be out-numbered and my magic out-powered.
“I need to taste you,” the woman moaned to Dagan.
Before I could comprehend what the hell that meant, he grabbed the knife and handed it to her. She grasped it in her bloody hand and ripped a line across his muscular chest. Blood spurted out angrily, erupting into a volcano of red. She thrust her face into him, sucking and licking at the gash with uninhibited abandon.
That's when I snapped.
Demon blood is extremely potent and powerful. If humans drink it, it makes them stronger, faster and longer lived. If a creature of the Netherworld drank it...
“What the fuck are you doing?” my voice blurted out before I could stop it.
Knight's vice-like grip around my waist didn't prevent me from attempting to attack Dagan, intent on doing any sort of bodily injury I could manage. But, first, I'd have to wrench the creature from his chest.
I didn't get far before Knight grabbed me around the waist and pushed me back against the wall. He wrapped his hands around my throat, holding me immobile. Gritting my teeth, I raked my fingernails into the skin on his hands. He didn’t even flinch.
Instead, a slow smile spread across his lips. “Don't mind her, she gets jeal
ous.”
The creature continued licking Dagan's chest, but Dagan was focused on me. His eyes threatened murder in no uncertain terms.
Okay, I'd basically just blown my cover and probably Dagan's and Knight's—if they were, in fact, not involved with the creature. But, at this point, I couldn't say I cared. All I knew was Dagan was nurturing the creature with his blood which meant the job of taking her down was going to be a hell of a lot harder.
With renewed determination, I clawed at Knight’s forearms. He glared at me with the promise of retribution.
He suddenly let go. I slumped back against the wall, sucking in a gulp of air. Knight didn’t glance back, but continued to stare at me. “I'm sorry, but I think my little hell-cat here has had enough for the evening.”
The creature laughed and continued sucking at Dagan. Meanwhile, Knight latched onto my arm and forced me out the door. He slammed it shut, and dragged me through the club as if I were a two-year old having a tantrum.
“Let go!” I demanded and glared into his steely eyes, awaiting the detonation of his fury.
He gave me a shove out the back door and I tripped over my ridiculous heels, falling to the ground as embarrassment claimed my cheeks. It was bad enough Knight was fuming at me but I had to go and demonstrate the fact that I was less than accustomed to high heeled footwear.
“Get in the goddamned car,” he grumbled.
I stood up and shook off my embarrassment—it wouldn’t do me any good. “I'm not going anywhere with you.”
“Don't make me lose my temper.”
“I've had enough of you and your orders,” I snapped, wiping the asphalt crumbs from my palms.
Knight balled his hands into fists as he approached the Wrangler, pulling my keys from the exhaust pipe. I’d put them there since I had no pockets. He unlocked the driver's side door and pulled the seat back, slamming the door as he started the car.