All Hallows Heartbreaker (6 page)

“Are you coming?” he asked.

“It’s still dripping down my legs,” she muttered.

“Pardon me?”

“Never mind. Just lead on. And no tricks. I’m on to you now.”

Dylan turned to walk down the sidewalk, keeping to the dark shadows next to the walls.

Emmy followed, too tired to question where they were going. Head down, she put one sandaled foot in front of the other.

A vampire. Wouldn’t you know? Emmy Harris couldn’t find herself a nice used car salesman. She had to go and find a sweet-talking vampire.

Dylan halted in front of her, and she bumped into his back. They’d left the shop fronts behind and were passing tall, abandoned tenements whose windows were dark mouths, many boarded up on the ground floor.

When Dylan turned onto the staircase leading into one such building, Emmy tugged on the back of his vest. “Dylan, this doesn’t feel like a good idea,” she said in a whisper.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs. Just when she was sure he’d brought her here to ravage her so no one would hear her screams—and unsure whether that thought excited her or not—she heard the muted sound of music and laughter.

Past the wooden doors at the entry, her shoes clicked dully on the dirty tiled floor. Unable to see very far into the murky interior, she clung to Dylan’s vest as he walked sure-footed toward the end of the foyer.

The music, a relentless techno beat, grew louder, echoing in the darkness. At the end of the hall, a sliver of light pierced the gloom.

Emmy wondered whether a homeless person had found shelter in the abandoned building, but then Dylan opened a door, and light spilled out, and Emmy encountered horror beyond her imagination.

Chapter Six

Dylan tugged her inside, and the door closed, locking her in with monsters.

Lit only by flickering candlelight, the creatures in the room undulated. Not one of the many occupants looked their way. Engaged in sex and feeding, vampires and human lovers writhed against each other in an orgy of dance and sex. The pungent aromas of cheap perfume, cigarettes and come were so thick she nearly gagged.

Emmy stumbled over the foot of naked vampire as he pumped into a groaning woman where they lay, stretched across a shiny vinyl-covered couch. His back and buttocks rippling, brawny muscle flexing with each thrust. Emmy realized Dylan must look much the same when he wore his demon skin.

Others fornicated on the floor. One group consisted of a female and two males—one male pounding into the ass of the woman who was in turn going down on the other male.

On a chair, a woman straddled the lap of a vampire, whose mouth fed at her neck, blood dripping onto her breasts.

Dylan’s arm slipped around her shoulders, and he brought her close.

Her gaze broke from the couple in the chair and rose to his face. She noted the taut set of his chin and the grim tightness of his mouth.

“Don’t leave my side,” he said. “This is a dangerous place for you, Emmy. If I had a choice, I’d never bring you here.”

Too frightened to speak, she nodded, then followed as he led her through the people dancing in the center of the floor. Deeper into the smoke-filled apartment.

They passed through the living room and into another hallway where a couple fucked against the wall. When Emmy sidled past the female vampire, she hissed at her and then laughed when Emmy jumped. Aware the creature’s gaze followed her down the hall, every hair on Emmy’s body rose.

Dylan pushed into a room lit by moonlight, where a man and two women stretched across a large, bare mattress.

From the lax expressions on the women’s faces, it was evident they’d just finished having sex. The male vampire was feeding from the wrist of a blonde woman, while a female vampire sucked blood from the top of her breasts. Based on the moans coming from the blonde, Emmy surmised blood-giving was a pleasurable thing.

Emmy’s hand crept inside Dylan’s, and he squeezed it.

“Viper,” Dylan said.

The vampire on the bed raised his head and bared his teeth in a gruesome smile. Instantly, his ferocious mask collapsed. A handsome Hispanic man replied, “Dylan. Imagine how embarrassed I am. I’ve fed and not offered you a drink.”

Dylan’s hand tightened around hers. Emmy’s fear raised a notch.

“I’m not here for a feeding,” Dylan replied, his voice quiet and casual. “I need your car.”

Viper’s gaze sharpened and fell upon Emmy. “Don’t tell me you picked up a snack in this neighborhood. Your little host isn’t known to me.”

Emmy pressed her body into Dylan’s side, wishing she could hide. Viper’s face might be handsome now, but it was alight with a malevolent curiosity.

“My car broke down. I’ll have yours returned tomorrow with interest.”

Viper smiled and slapped the thigh of the woman nearest him. “Leave us.”

The women stretched, their nipples pointed and red. When the female vampire sidled past Emmy, she rubbed her breasts against Emmy’s arm and leaned close to sniff.

Emmy forgot to breathe. Dylan reached around her and shoved the vampire away. Only when the door closed behind them, did Emmy dare relax.

Viper padded naked to the opposite corner of the room. He bent, exposing a round, hard ass, as he rifled through a backpack lying on the floor.

When he turned, Emmy couldn’t drag her gaze from his cock. Were all vampires well hung?

Metal glinted in an arc when he tossed the keys to Dylan, and Emmy wondered how long she’d stared.

The wry grin that tilted the corners of Viper’s mouth told her he’d noticed her interest. Then the dark rivulets at the side of his mouth reminded Emmy of what she’d just witnessed, and her stomach turned. She’d given herself to a bloodsucker, too. What did that make her?

Dylan pulled her from the room. He didn’t release her hand until the doors of the apartment building closed behind them.

Immediately, she missed his comfort and rubbed her palm against her skirt. She was reading things into his actions—again. He hadn’t intended to comfort her. He was just marking his territory.

They rounded the corner of the building to find a low-slung Jaguar parked in the alley.

The headlights blinked, and the doors unlocked with a soft click. Emmy crawled inside and laid her cheek against the leather seat. Her eyes closed and the hum of the engine swept her into sleep.

* * * * *

Dylan gently rolled Emmy to her side and unlaced the ribbon holding her top together.

She murmured a protest, but didn’t wake. Just like she hadn’t wakened when he’d hoisted her into his arms to carry her inside his house.

He swept away the last of her clothing and pulled up the bedding to cover her. Her blonde hair fanned around her pale face, a burning halo against the navy silk pillow cover. The creamy tops of her shoulders begged a kiss, but the purple half-moons beneath her eyes attested to her fatigue.

Still, he wished he could wake her to bury himself inside her one more time before he slept. Emmy’s innocence was becoming a drug.

A soft chirrup from the intercom announced Quentin’s arrival at the back gate. He closed the bedroom door and headed to the living room.

Quentin let himself into the room and flashed a triumphant smile. “You look bloody exhausted. Well done!”

“It’s been a trying evening—and not for the reasons you think.”

Quentin’s eyebrows rose. “You didn’t bed the girl?”

“I’ve yet to take her
in
a bed…but aye,” Dylan said, “I’ve slaked that thirst.”

“Oh ho! Better and better. Tell me, did she stop her chatter while doing the dirty deed?”

Dylan grinned. “She was relentless.” He padded to the bar and poured whisky into two tumblers.

Quentin’s face was alight with curiosity. “A spirited girl, then?”

“A passionate one.” Dylan wished his friend would take his twenty questions to the devil. Something delightful awaited him in bed.

“She did appear made to pillow a man’s thighs.” Quentin collapsed elegantly into one of the brown leather chairs that flanked the fireplace. “There’s a bit of chill in the air.”

Dylan took the hint and ignited the gas flame in the fireplace. The large room was cold as a mausoleum. And vampires didn’t retain heat.

Quentin raised a hand before the fire. “I didn’t see the Beamer in the garage when I parked. Car trouble?”

Dylan took the chair opposite. “Of a sort,” he murmured.

Quentin’s gaze swung back. “Nicky’s crew?”

“They were lurking near her apartment,” Dylan said, letting the anger he’d banked roll over him. “Lying in wait for her to come home.”

“No casualties?”

Dylan’s jaw tensed. “I didn’t let them get near enough.”

“Nicky’s gone too far,” Quentin said, his voice tight with fury. “The Masters’ Council has to act now.”

“Most of them are too passive. Too damned comfortable to do what’s right. They’ll never act.”

“Or worse,” Quentin said. “They’ll try to negotiate a holiday from death. As if one could talk Nicky into stopping.”

“The council will wait, hoping one of us takes matters into our own hands.”

“So they don’t have to dirty their consciences with a dusting?”

“Exactly,” said Dylan. He no longer had any qualms about taking the younger Master’s life. Nicky had to die to spare Emmy’s life.

“At least we’ve discovered for certain that she’s in danger. We can take appropriate precautions in the coming nights.”

“Unfortunately,” Dylan said, “she knows what we are now.”

“Well, shit. I’m sorry about that.” Quentin’s gaze sharpened. “I take it, the fact we’re night owls didn’t go over well?”

“Like a rock.” Dylan glanced away. “She tried to escape me and the car kissed a light pole near Viper’s.”

“That’s a tough neighborhood for a stroll after dark. So where’d you get the Jaguar?”

“It’s Viper’s.”

“You took her to the Den?” Quentin’s lips curled in disgust. “Were you mad? A girl like her?”

“I know. It wasn’t as though I had a better choice.”

“You need to join the cellular age. You could have called a cab.”

Dylan threw back the drink and savored the burning trail it left on its way to his stomach.

“So how did she take it?”

Dylan closed his eyes. He’d felt her horror. “Wide-eyed as a school girl.”
Does she think I’m like the hungry vamps at Viper’s?

“She didn’t run screaming?”

“She was probably too frightened.” Dylan wondered if demons plagued her dreams. “Tell me about Nicky.”

“A priest couldn’t have been more circumspect,” Quentin said with disgust. “He snacked on a blood host, fucked a college student, and then went home.”

“I’m surprised he cares enough to hide what he’s doing.”

“How certain are you that he’s behind the vamps who were at your girlfriend’s house?”

“His newest paramour, Monica, was among those waiting for Emmy at her apartment. Monica’s her former best friend.”

“Bugger. So she’s already a killer. She’ll feast on her friends first.”

“What are friends for? They’re so easy to lure away from their doors.”

“You know you haven’t done the girl any favors.”

Dylan didn’t need to be told. Instead, he changed the subject. “Her name’s Emmy.”

“Emmy? A sweet name.”

“Yes. She’s a bookkeeper.”

Quentin grinned. “You’re kinkier than I thought. So are you going to share this one?” he asked, with a sly tone.

“Fuck no.” Jealousy niggled. “You try to seduce her, and I’ll kill you.”

Quentin sipped the last of the whiskey from his cup. “Sweet Emmy inspires so much violence.”

“She will never see it,” Dylan swore.

“Has she not seen your tender violence?” Quentin asked, his tone sly.

“I’m not sure.”

“You hide your face? I’d not be doing that one in the dark. She’ll glow like candlelight.”

“That’s too insignificant a flame.”

Quentin’s eyebrows rose. “A scorcher, is she? Best have a care that you don’t go up in a blaze.”

“My fingers are already singed.”

“Braggart.”

Dylan yawned. Dawn was approaching.

“I’ll let the dogs into the yard,” Quentin said. “Don’t mind if I stay the day, do you?”

“Just keep to the other side of the house.”

“Not planning to rest? Fuck. Don’t say as I blame you.”

Dylan rose from his chair. “I’ll see you at dusk, friend.”

“Lucky sod. I’m having another drink.”

Dylan returned to the bedroom and slipped inside. He stripped in the moonlight and slid beneath the comforter, already warm with her body heat.

Emmy murmured in her sleep, but didn’t wake when he pulled her on top of him like a blanket.

He intended only to hold her, but her hips rolled and her legs widened. Her warm thighs gloved his cock. She murmured, a soft feminine sound that filled the empty place in his heart as it swelled his cock.

The tip of his penis nudged her portal.

Liquid heat seeped out to bathe his head.

He gritted his teeth and forced his arms to relax around her.
Let her sleep, you horny bastard
.

Emmy’s face rolled into the corner of his shoulder, and he lifted a hand to smooth her hair. He meant to soothe, but her mouth opened over his throat and sucked delicately against his skin.