Page 40 of Fire in My Blood

“I need to find a place to sleep downstairs for the day.” Lyn’s gaze is on my face. Her expression is neutral, but there’s a hint of amusement in her eyes, like she knows exactly what Lucas’s embrace is doing to me.

“I suggest we meet again right after sundown to discuss how we’re going to find and destroy the vampire who attacked you.” Her smile is soft when she looks at me before she lifts an eyebrow at Lucas.

“Agreed.” Lucas’s deep voice is like an intimate caress.

I nod, struggling to concentrate on anything other than the gorgeous man touching me like I mean more to him than just a night or two of pleasure.

“Okay.” Lyn stands. “Lucas, would you mind showing me where I can rest?”

“Of course.” Lucas lets go of me and gets to his feet. “I’ll be right back, okay? Just stay here.” He throws me a smile over his shoulder as they disappear out of the room.

I sit there, staring at the closed door. It’s suddenly so quiet, and my mind goes to my brother. How will he react when I call him? He’ll probably be furious that I didn’t call him last night, but only because he’s worried about me.

Hopefully, he hasn’t contacted the police. But just in case it’s probably best if I call him from an untraceable phone like Lucas wants. I don’t want David or the police to find Lucas. Then again, I doubt my brother would tell the police about Lucas unless he was left no other choice. The men in blue wouldn’t be impressed with David acting as though he’s above the law.

I look down at the white-knuckled fists in my lap. David will want to know where I am, and I have to tell him something. I can pretend my phone died because I forgot my charger, but I don’t want to lie to him.

Throwing a glance out of the window, I nod to myself. The sun is getting ready to creep above the horizon, but it’s still so early that it’s unlikely my brother has discovered that Lucas is gone. It’s probably best if I don’t mention Lucas at all. Who knows what my brother will do once he realizes I’ve taken off with his prisoner.

∞∞∞

Lyn

I wait until Lucas has closed the door and is well out of earshot before calling Markus.

“Lynette. Have you talked to Lucas?”

A smile curves my lips. Markus is straight to the point as usual. Meaningless pleasantries aren’t exactly his forte. But then that’s one of the things I like about him.

“Yes, there seems to have been a bit of a misunderstanding. The woman with him, Erica, was attacked and raped by a vampire four years ago, and a few nights ago the asshole came back to claim her. Her brother thought Lucas was behind the attack on her and somehow managed to capture him, eventually ending up shooting Lucas in the chest. Erica found Lucas and rescued him. The vampire who attacked her is still at large.”

“So, we have a rogue.” There’s anger in Markus’s voice. “If he wants to claim her, he’ll stay in the area. And I assume that’s why Lucas brought the woman with him, so he can protect her.”

“Yes.” For a second I consider leaving it at that, but keeping my suspicions from Markus doesn’t feel right. “And I think Lucas has feelings for her. I’ve seen him protect several human women throughout the years, but I’ve never seen him behave the way he is with her. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s well on his way to falling in love with her.”

Markus is silent for a full minute before responding. “Do you know if he’s fucked her?” He sounds hesitant, like he dreads the answer to that question.

“I didn’t ask but based on the intimate way they’re touching each other I think that’s a distinct possibility. I thought they smelled like sex, as well, but it was mixed with the smell of blood and fear, so I’m not quite sure. Erica clearly feels safe with him, though. When she realized I’m a vampire, she was terrified, but Lucas calmed her quickly without pulling her mind to him. I asked them about sharing blood. She gave Lucas her blood to help him heal after he was shot, but he hasn’t given her his.”

Markus lets out an audible sigh. “If he has broken the agreement about sex, I want to talk to him myself. I know a couple of his brothers have fucked up, literally, a couple of times, and I don’t think Lucas is aware of that. Lucas has always taken his promise seriously. This is not like him. Try to find out if he’s actually fucked her. Subtly, of course.”

I nod even though he can’t see me. “I’ll see what I can find out tonight. There’s also the rogue vampire to deal with. We will be discussing that issue later. The asshole needs to be taken care of quickly. Who knows what he’ll do to get Erica back.”

“Okay. Call me as soon as you rise, Lynette. I want to be kept in the loop on this one.”

The call cuts off before I can confirm or say goodbye. Markus has horrible phone manners, but I’m used to it.

I undress and get ready for bed. I’m used to having to locate a place to hide wherever I am at dawn, so sleeping in an actual bed isn’t something I take for granted.

Sometimes I end up in the ground in a graveyard or park. It’s safe enough for a day’s rest, but I hate the dirt getting everywhere. No matter how much I shower afterward, the dirt seems to stick in every crevice of my body. It usually takes days before I feel completely clean.

Creeping under the covers, I sink into the soft mattress with a satisfied sigh. The only things better than a soft bed are blood and sex, and preferably, both at the same time. And if I’m going to be honest with myself, preferably with Markus. Not that I have ever experienced that.

I drift to sleep, imagining sinking my fangs into Markus’s neck and wondering how his blood would taste. I bet it tastes delicious.

Chapter 25

Erica