“Regardless of your sacrifices, I’m sure you’ll feel better once you have had some rest,” Christian said, and without realizing it, I found myself marching up the stairs, heading for my bedroom.
But not before I heard Allie say, “This isn’t one of your Four Horsemen, is it?”
I listened intently even as my feet carried me upward.
“He was. The question is, will he survive whatever Victor’s Revelation has done to him?”
Chapter Four
“Merrick.”
He frowned. He didn’t wish to come out of the floating black sea of unawareness that had held him in its tight embrace for what seemed like an eternity. It was rather pleasant there. He didn’t have to worry about anything.
“Merrick, you’ve had enough blood for two Dark Ones. You must wake up now.”
He was given blood? That must be why he was feeling relatively well.
“Merrick, by the saints, if you don’t wake up now, Allegra will be back, and she will insist on bathing you, and that will just end in another argument where I have to forbid her from handling your naked self, and she will accuse me of being jealous. Wake the hell up so I don’t have to be jealous.”
Merrick cracked an eye open. “It’s not my problem if your woman prefers my manly form over yours.”
The man sitting on the bed next to him glared at him, but at the same time, his mouth twitched. Christian Dante, Merrick knew, had a stern appearance that he used to hide his sharply honed sense of humor. The fact that they both knew Christian’s wife, Allie, would never so much as look at another Dark One had nothing to do with the ease with which Christian spoke, and Merrick answered.
“How long have we known each other?” Merrick asked, his mental and verbal filters slightly awry from the time spent floating in the soft blackness.
Christian frowned. “Is that a pertinent question to ask after you’ve nearly died on my library floor?”
“I wouldn’t have asked it if it wasn’t.”
Christian looked thoughtful. “It must have been in the fourteenth century. You were in Constantinople, and I was passing through on my way to the Far East.”
“Ah, yes, that’s it. I make that 1314 or thereabouts. So a little over seven hundred years.” Merrick thought about that. “Time passes quickly, does it not?”
“It does when you are lying insensible, drained of blood,” Christian answered in what Merrick thought of as his patented dry tone of voice. “What happened? Who did this to you? I assume it was the Revelation?”
“Yes.” Merrick felt the back of his head, but the lump that he assumed must have risen when he’d been struck was no longer there. “I went to Prague after an informant told me one of Victor’s procurers was there. I didn’t think I would have trouble taking him, but there was more than one, and they got the jump on me. I’m surprised they didn’t kill me outright.”
“I gather they were supposed to, but one of them had a change of heart and brought you here, instead.”
Merrick grunted an acknowledgment of that. “How much blood did I lose?”
“All of it, from what I can tell. You were nearly gone when Allegra and I returned home. Luckily, there was someone here to keep you from fading away.”
“Ah.” Merrick nodded, the faint memory of flowers flitting through his mind. Clearly, the goddess must be one of Christian’s staff, and she had found him and given him enough blood to keep him alive. “And how long has it been?”
“Three days.”
“Three days?” Merrick sat upright. “Since the Revelation took me, or since you found me?”
“Since you were deposited at my door.” The amusement that had been in Christian’s eyes faded as he spoke. “You were more dead than alive, and I feared for the worst until we fed you sufficient blood that you once again had a heartbeat.”
A small cold ball of anger grew in Merrick’s gut. “I’ll get Victor if it’s the last thing I do. And the two informants who set me up.”
“We’re making progress,” Christian said, rising from the bed and strolling to the window. “You and the others have brought seven procurers to justice. You have saved countless mortals from being turned.”
“It’s not enough,” Merrick said, the small ball in his stomach turning into a burning sphere. “For every mortal we save, there are a handful the Revelation reaches. I must contact the other Horsemen. We have to do something beyond simply capturing random members of the Revelation. We need to strike at the head.”
Christian turned back as Merrick rose and somewhat clumsily pulled on his clothing. “Have you had any word of who that might be?”
“No.” Merrick’s legs felt a bit rubbery, but he ignored the sensation. There was so much to do, so many people who were counting on him to save them from eternal enslavement. “Not yet. But we will.”
Christian’s silver-eyed gaze watched him closely for a few seconds. “Do you still believe that Renata’s death lies at their door?”
“Yes.” Merrick donned his shoes and a long black duster, placing a black felt fedora on his head in a way that would shade his face from any errant sunlight that might try to catch him as he ran for whatever car Christian would allow him to borrow. He pushed down the pain that automatically rose at the mention of Renata, not needing the memory to fuel his fury.
Not now. Not when there were Revelation members to capture, and a leader to punish.
“You look ... grim.”
“I am grim.” Merrick slid Christian a look from the sides of his eyes. “You know as well as I do what is at stake.”
The two men walked in silence for a few minutes. “Allegra said you need a ...” Christian stopped, cleared his throat, and started again. “Allegra has pointed out that perhaps you could use a break from hunting the Revelation members.”
“Your Beloved has no input on my life,” Merrick said flatly.
“She means well. She worries that you have isolated yourself from contact with others to the point where your focus is too narrow, too uncompromising.”
“You expect me to compromise with murderers and abusers?” Merrick asked, outraged.
“Of course not. But I agree that a more well-rounded life might allow you to serve with a bit more mental ... balance.”
Merrick stopped abruptly and faced his old friend. “Now you call me insane?”
“Not that.” Christian’s expression showed both concern and frustration. “But when is the last time you took a step back to examine your life?”
Merrick snorted disgustedly, and would have continued onward toward the garage had not Christian stopped him by holding his arm.
“We have only your interests at heart, my friend. Since Renata died, you have been a man driven to the point of exhaustion. You cut everyone out of your life, left your friends both old and new. You live in isolation, keep yourself in solitary purgatory, and have no interaction with anyone not connected to the pursuit of the Horsemen. When is the last time you laughed? Took pleasure in a lover’s touch? Found joy in the simple embrace of another human being?”
Merrick waited impatiently for Christian to finish. “None of those things are important. Finding Renata’s killer is. Bringing down the Revelation is. Those are the only two focuses in my life now, and they will continue to be so until I find the answers I seek.”
“I fear for you,” Christian said, shaking his head as they started forward again. “Down that path lies nothing but sorrow.”
“I live with sorrow every day of my life,” Merrick said abruptly. “I do not fear it.”
“What can I do to help you?” Christian asked after a few more moments of silence.
“Nothing other than giving me the use of a car. I have no idea where mine is, and until I can find it, I will need transportation.”
“Of course,” Christian said, leading Merrick from the room. “You will take your pick of the cars. All of them have tinted windows, although I would ask that you not take the Tesla. It is Allegra’s favorite
. But what are your plans now?”
“First, I must contact the others.”
“Ciaran left a message for you,” Christian said as they descended, pulling out a small piece of notepaper. “Evidently, he is leaving San Francisco tomorrow for somewhere in Quebec.”
“Yes, he’s following a trail that he said should lead to the main organization that fuels the Revelation. Han is also in the States, in Chicago.”
“And Nico?” Christian asked. The two men exited the castle through a side door, running the few yards to a nearby stone building that served as a garage.
“He was in Singapore, although I believe he said something about going to Russia.” Merrick shook his head. “Nico is never overly willing to share his plans.”
“You are the Four Horsemen,” Christian said, a warning note barely evident in his voice. “You protect Dark Ones and mortals alike. You are a unique force that must communicate with each other; else you cannot work together as one unit—”
“We do and we are,” Merrick interrupted. He considered the row of six cars, and picked the most innocuous one, a black BMW. He liked to lie low, to be hidden from sight, and the car suited his needs. “It’s just that sometimes the trails we follow don’t give us time to check in with the other three. But you have no need to worry, Christian. Three of us have been doing this job for ten years now. We have each other’s backs.”
“That had better be true; else you might end up on my doorstep beyond our help.”
Merrick smiled a small, grim smile as he took the keys Christian offered, and entered the car. “Don’t worry, I won’t be so careless again. Please offer my thanks to your staff member, and offer her any reparation if it is desired.”
“My staff member?” Christian looked puzzled.
“The one who gave me enough blood to keep me alive until you could attend to me.” Merrick gunned the engine, waving when Christian stepped back. “The redheaded one with the big eyes. For some reason, I thought she was a goddess, but now I realize I was near death and delusional.”
“I’m not sure who—”
“The woman who fed me. And ... well, you know what happens when we feed. I would have you give her my gratitude.”
Christian’s eyebrows rose. “Ah. Yes. Just so. I don’t believe the lady had any complaints about your ... reaction.”
“Good. Let me know if she requires anything. I am in her debt.”
“I will, but she wasn’t a staff—” Christian said, but the rest of the words were lost in the sound of the tires hitting the gravel drive.
Merrick’s attention was already focused on the job at hand. First, he needed to return to Prague to try to locate his car, and to pick up his possessions from where he’d left them at a hotel. And after that ... his eyes narrowed as he reviewed his plan to locate the people who ran the nefarious organization responsible for creating new Dark Ones from innocent mortals, and using them for profit. Uppermost on his mind was locating Jens and Henri to find out who had paid them to trap him, and after that, he’d go to Genoa. With luck, he’d find the house where Victor was supposed to spend some time. And then, he’d be one step closer to bringing down the biggest threat to mortals and Dark Ones alike.
It was just too bad he was in such a dangerous line of work. He wouldn’t mind thanking the redhead himself for saving him.
He pushed away thoughts of her, her elusive flowery scent, the feel of her skin against him, her heat surrounding him, and most of all her sweet mouth. Such things had no place in his life. Not while Renata’s murderer still walked free.
Not while he was a marked man.
Chapter Five
“Hello again, Aunt Roxy.” I was delighted to see her name pop up on my cell phone’s display. “Are you still enjoying Australian men?”
“I was, but then Richard got called back to work three days early, so now we’re home. What did you mean by your text?”
“Which one?” I asked, setting down a pamphlet advertising a boat tour around the La Spezia harbor.
“The one where you said that Allie kicked you out of the Czech Republic. What on earth did you do? You didn’t try to ... oh lord ... tell me you didn’t fling yourself on Christian, did you? I know he’s adorable and has a voice that sounds like velvet, but trust me when I say that he’s not for you. I told you about Beloveds, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but—”
“I told you how for every unredeemed Dark One there’s just one single woman out there—or two, if you’re Christian and one of those women is Joy, but we’ll ignore that because really Joy was crazy picking Bob over Christian.”
“Joy?” I asked, not recognizing the name.
“Another friend; you don’t know her. And I don’t want you thinking that I don’t love Allie, because I do, and I think she’s just perfect for Christian—where was I?”
“You were telling me the rules about Beloveds. Not that I need you to, because I’ve read the books, and I know about the steps—”
“The steps! That’s what I was going to tell you. Each vampire goes through these seven steps that tell him the woman in question is his Beloved.”
“I know about the steps—”
“The first one is marking, and then there’s protection from afar, followed by a spit swap—actually, it’s any bodily fluid, but Allie says that most vamps do that by kissing—and then a few more steps. Somewhere in there is the woman saving the vampire from his darker self, which I think is just the most romantic thing ever. I mean, who wouldn’t want a sexy vamp after you saved him from his bad self?”
“Aunt Roxy—”
“I’m just explaining why Allie got upset when you made a move on Christian, that’s all. Don’t take it personally.”
“I didn’t try to do anything to Christian!” I almost yelled into the phone, immediately dropping my voice when I realized the French doors to the balcony were open. “I barely said hello to the man before he was bustling me out of the castle and insisting I go off to the Italian Riviera, where I’m supposed to meet my friend Ellis in a week.”
“Oh.” Roxy was silent for a few seconds. “Then what did you do to piss off Allie?”
“I don’t know!” I spent the next fifteen minutes giving her an account of my movements in the Czech Republic, excluding the sexual hijinks that the nearly dead vampire and I got up to.
“Well. You have had a time. Hmm.” Roxy mulled over my story. “You know what I think it is? I think it’s you being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Christian is the head honcho of all the vampires, and I bet you got caught in something that was going on, and they got you out of there for your own good.”
“Yes, but now I’m ahead of schedule. I’m here in Italy seven days ahead of my friend Ellis, although I suppose I can move up the meeting with Cousin Carlo.”
“Cousin Carlo? I don’t recall having a cousin with that name.”
“He’s one of Papa’s cousins. Mom suggested that since I was now free of the cult and could see anyone I wanted, that I reconnect with family members. That’s why Ellis and I are in this part of Italy—so I can meet Carlo.”
“Ah, that makes sense. And good for you for stretching your familial wings that way.”
I sighed. “The problem is that this was supposed to be my vampire time, not Cousin Carlo time. I don’t suppose you know of any Italian vampires? I’d be willing to travel to see one, although I realize that sounds kind of desperate. Oh, just ignore me. I’m acting like a baby because part of my plans fell through.”
“You’re not acting like a baby at all. I’d be disappointed if I went to Europe to see Dark Ones and didn’t get to do more than be hustled out of Christian’s castle ... although, to be fair, he did that once to Joy and me ... but I’m afraid I don’t know of anyone you could ask for help other than Allie.”
My heart sank. I flopped down in one of the plastic white chairs on the balcony, enjoying the warmth of the sun even as my spirits took a nosedive. “I guess I could call her. Even if
I was in the way while I was there—and honestly, I can’t see how that is possible since I was only there for one night—she wouldn’t hang up on me, would she?”
“No, of course not. Call her. Worst-case scenario: you be a tourist until your friend gets there.”
We chatted for a little while longer, but Roxy was anxious to get unpacked, and I wanted to talk to Allie.
“I’m sorry you feel like we didn’t want you,” the latter said a half hour later, when I managed to get her on the phone. “I assure you it had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with Christian being overly cautious.”
“You said that yesterday when you bundled me on the train, but I still don’t understand why he would think I was some danger to the vampire who was left there.”
“It’s not that at all. He was thinking of your welfare, since the pink-haired man saw you.”
I grimaced at nothing. “If Spiky Pink Hair would hunt me down because I knew he saved a vampire’s life—and I can’t imagine he’d do that, since he seemed more concerned about himself—I am certainly no threat to him. Even if I wanted to tattle on him, I don’t know his name or who his boss is.”
“No, but ... it’s complicated ...” Allie hesitated, then said softly, “Oh, to hell with it. I’m going to trust you with the truth. After all, you’re Roxy’s niece, and when she asked if you could visit, she swore up and down that you were as trustworthy as she is.”
“I am, I really am,” I said, both flattered that my aunt would think so much of me and intrigued by Allie’s statement.
“Hang on a minute.”
There was a rustling noise and a brief muted conversation, immediately followed by the sound of footsteps lightly running down what I imagined was one of the castle’s stone hallways.
“OK,” Allie’s voice came hushed and somewhat breathless. “I’m away from the kids. I’m going to tell you what happened, but you have to promise not to talk about it to anyone else, because it involves the safety of four men. Four Dark Ones.”