Bad Boy Prince: A British Royal Stepbrother Romance (38 page)

Ice wrapped around Gabriel’s heart, freezing him solid inside. His fists clenched at the very thought. Some blood donors were well treated and lived long lives, but the shadier Vampire entrepreneurs let clients use enslaved donors up in a few short years before turning them out onto the streets to live short, pathetic lives, their strength and intellect gone.

“How old were you?” he asked, barely getting the words out through his clenched jaw.

“Fifteen.” Cassie pushed her sleeve back down and gave Gabriel a hard look. “If you keep looking at me like that, that fucking pity, I will punch you right in your pretty face.”

“It’s just… a lot to process. I’m trying not to lose my temper,” Gabriel admitted.

Cassie sneered at him, an angry blush mottling her pale cheeks.

“Well, I’m so sorry your so-called mate is used goods. Fate must think she’s funny, pairing me with Mr. Perfect. It’s not like I had any choice in what happened,” she said, her teeth bared.

“Cass,” Gabriel groaned. She made to turn away, and he grabbed her to haul her up against her body. “Look at me. I would never, ever think that. And I’m not perfect, far from it.”

Cassie looked up at him, stiff in his arms, her big gray eyes luminous with unshed tears.

“Let me go,” she whispered, her gaze locked with his.

“Not until you listen,” he said, leaning down to brush his lips over hers. Her scent overran him, spicy-sweet cinnamon; the press of her stomach and chest to his made his cock twitch with renewed interest.

Cassie stared up at him, uncertainty ruling her expression. Gabriel gave her a slow, deep kiss, releasing her lips with reluctance.

“Your past means nothing to me. Tell me you believe me,” Gabriel said, keeping his demand soft.

Cassie bit her lip and nodded, bringing her hands up to his chest to gently push him away. When she’d put a few inches between them, she drew in a deep breath.

“I’m not a delicate flower, Gabriel.”

He couldn’t help but love the sound of his name on her lips.

“You’re stronger than most, I would guess.”

“Yes,” she said, adjusting the sleeves of her blouse again. “And I’m going to Bellocq with you. I understand that you’re not ready for a mate. I might not be, either. But you’re going to have to accept my help to find the other girls.”

After a long moment, Gabriel could only nod.

“Alright,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand again. When she didn’t resist his touch, he pulled her to his side and walked her back to the car, knowing full well that he’d just agreed to something very difficult indeed. “We can’t go tonight, anyhow. It’s the new moon, so none of the Vampires are out and about. They’re off doing whatever secret things they do together in their little covens.”

“Guess we’ll have to find a way to pass the time,” Cassie said, pursing her lips. “Do you play chess, by chance?”

He suppressed a groan at her blatant teasing. It seemed that Gabriel Thorne would be spending a great deal of time with the unforgettable, gorgeous Cassandra Chase whether he wanted to or not.

C
assie slicked
on a final coat of gleaming ruby red lipstick and admired herself in her compact mirror. Her thick winged eyeliner was flawless, her orange-red locks piled in a tousled updo, a thin gold circlet resting on her head. That was the funny thing about Kith clubs, the thing Cassie loved most: you could leave all conventional dress behind and truly dress to impress, regardless of what might be appropriate for a normal human club.

She wasn’t entirely thrilled with the Vampires who ran Bellocq, mostly because their monthly disappearances during the new moon had stuck her in the Manor with Gabriel for four days straight. Neither Cassie nor Gabriel were patient to begin with, it seemed, but the lustful tension blooming between them was becoming unbearable.

Even now, with Aeric sitting between her and her would-be mate, Cassie could smell nothing but Gabriel. She could
smell
his skin under his clothes, each time he shifted in his seat in the car. The fact that she knew that it was Gabriel’s skin, specifically his skin, was more off-putting than Cassie could possibly express.

And tonight, they would have to talk, touch, and work as a team. How the hell was that going to happen?

The Oracle stirred within Cassie, perhaps reacting to her ill ease. She took a deep breath and tried to think positive thoughts, sending positive vibes to the Oracle. The last thing Cassie needed right now was to go all possessed and flame-eyed, then start spewing cryptic prophecies about how the car’s occupants were going to suffer and die. When the Oracle spoke, the revelations were rarely comforting and joyful.

Cassie sighed and looked out the window as Duverjay pulled the SUV around Lee Circle in New Orleans’ Central Business District, checking out the elegant white column in the center of the roundabout. Robert E. Lee stood there, looking out over the highway. He wasn’t one of Cassie’s favorite people, but he did make a memorable monument.

“That’s it, there on the right,” Cassie said, pointing out a squat olive green building.

“Not much to look at,” Rhys rumbled from the front passenger seat. He nudged the Guardians’ butler, their driver for the evening. “Let us out over here, Duverjay.”

Duverjay pulled over, waiting for Cassie and the Guardians to get out in front of the Hotel Modern, something of a chic hot spot in its own right. It was ten thirty, just the right hour to find plenty of New Orleans social activity. At the moment a number of people were sitting on a patio at the hotel’s front entrance, sipping drinks and chatting; a full third of them stopped and stared as Cassie, Gabriel, Rhys, and Aeric exited the SUV.

Cassie smoothed her hands down her backless gold Aidan Mattox gown. The floor-length dress fit like a glove, clinging to all the right places, the intricate gold beading shimmering in the moonlight. The beading spread out from her waist in a sunburst pattern, flattering her figure beyond belief. She looked like a flame-haired Venus rising from the sea, three model-handsome men in tuxedoes following her every step.

No wonder people were staring. Cassie kept the amusement from her face, sweeping past the hotel patrons. Gabriel was right behind her, and Cassie knew he was getting at least as much attention as she was, if not more. His Burberry tux fit so well that Cassie could barely bring herself to glance in his direction, too afraid she’d actually start to drool.

Gabriel was
built
, that was for certain. His ass in that tux was a crime against humanity.

“Where’s the entrance to the club?”

Cassie shot the man in question a look as he cut into her lascivious train of thought.

“This way, through the courtyard,” she said, turning a corner and leading them into a huge candlelit seating area. Aside from candles, the only light was from dim bulbs strung overhead, leaving plenty of room for the sultry New Orleans moon to make the courtyard romantic.

Cassie skirted the tables filled with laughing, happy twenty-somethings and stopped a dozen paces from where two armed, suited guards stood. Above them hung a simply-lettered sign that read
bellocq — a craft cocktail bar
.

“Here we are,” Cassie announced, stepping up to the guards and giving them a nod. “Gentlemen.”

“Miss Chase,” both of them replied at once, dipping their heads reverently and pulling the double doors open to let her in.

“That was suspiciously easy,” Aeric rumbled.

“Those were just the human guards,” Cassie said, rolling her eyes. “They don’t even know what I am, just that I’m a VIP.”

They stepped into the human half of Bellocq, a dark and intimate lounge room done up in crimson velvet, black silk, and silver accents. Couples and small groups stood around and sat on overstuffed chaises, laughing and talking over the persistent beat of the music. Booths were built into the walls, lined with rich cushions and partially hidden by thick curtains of silver and black beads.

There was a stunning backlit bar to their right, but Cassie swept by it in favor of heading straight through the room. When she neared the back she veered left toward a small corner, stepping through a gap between two of the booths. Here there were two more guards, and they eyed Cassie and the Guardians with a great deal more suspicion. They stood in front of a blank stretch of black-painted wall, and they were armed with both guns and wands.

“Jacques, Redford,” Cassie said, greeting the guards by name.

“Oracle,” Redford replied. He was the bigger of the two men, his suit straining to fit across his massive chest, and he seemed to be in charge.

“My friends and I are looking for some… diversion,” Cassie said, fluttering her eyelashes.

Redford’s brows shot up as he looked between Cassie and the Guardians, obviously drawing some inference at which Cassie couldn’t begin to guess.

“You will vouch for them, Oracle? You know the rules,” Redford said, giving Cassie a meaningful look.

“I do,” Cassie said, giving Redford a rueful smile.

Redford glanced at Jacques, who shrugged.

“All right, Oracle. Enjoy yourself,” Redford said, pulling his wand from his belt and tapping it on the wall.

The wall wavered for a moment, the illusion dispersing to reveal a soaring, cavernous entrance to the Kith club, the doorway covered in a thousand tiny gold spikes that gleamed in the dim light.

“Do not touch these,” Cassie said to the Guardians. Gabriel and Rhys frowned, but Aeric appeared unruffled. For the tenth time that day, Cassie had the distinct feeling that Aeric was not only older than the other Guardians, but perhaps something else entirely. Something…
more
.

They headed into the Kith side of Bellocq, walking single-file until they emerged into a single massive chamber. Gold shimmered on nearly every surface in the room, candles flickering in a thousand tiny sconces carved in the slick stone ceiling.

There were booths and overstuffed furniture on one side and a dazzling bar on the other, a close imitation of the human side. The main difference was the dance floor set between the booths and the bar, a hundred tightly packed bodies gyrating to a thunderous bass line that Cassie could feel in her very bones.

Gabriel stopped beside her, and Cassie saw him mouth a word of surprise. Bellocq was pretty impressive, after all. It was the most exclusive, expensive, and elite Kith bar in the city, mostly because there was a labyrinth of private rooms leading from a hallway behind the bar, catering to any and every taste.

Or so Alice had told Cassie, at any rate.

The thought of her friend straightened Cassie’s spine, and she touched Gabriel’s arm to get his attention.

“Let’s get a drink first,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the music.

To her surprise, Rhys and Aeric both left them, Rhys heading for the dance floor and Aeric for the back hallway.

“Don’t worry about them,” Gabriel said, leaning close to murmur in her ear. He was close enough that Cassie could feel his breath on her neck and smell his crisp, masculine scent.

“I—” Cassie started, flustered.

Gabriel took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers as he had before, and led her to the bar. Even in a Kith establishment full of Vampires and every kind of shifter in existence, Gabriel was by far the most handsome man at the bar. One of the tallest, too.

He elbowed his way into a spot at the counter, seeming unaware of the two blonde nymphs who were practically begging for his attention, giggling and thrusting out their chests. Cassie held in a wince as she eyed their thin frames and ethereal features, acutely aware that she was much taller and curvier than the two fairies.

“Cass,” Gabriel said, giving her hand a squeeze.

She looked up at him, nearly melting at the look on his face. He was giving her an overtly appraising, appreciative look, his midnight blue gaze running up and down her frame before returning to her face.

“I almost couldn’t let you out of the Manor in that dress, you know,” Gabriel said, lips twitching with humor. “It’s the definition of sinful.”

His accent seemed to thicken when he was flirting, and Cassie could only imagine the effect it had on unknowing women in bars like this one. Hell, that look on his face, that accent, the way his suit jacket defined his tall, muscular frame…

Yeah, it was working on Cassie too, if her ever-dampening panties were any indication. She licked her lips, feeling her face heat as she stared up at Gabriel. Sucking in a breath, she tried to remember her mission.

“We should, um… look for Asangel. As soon as we get this drink, I mean,” she said, jerking her gaze from Gabriel’s.

“All business, are we?” he asked, but he let the matter drop. Gabriel managed to attract the attention of a pretty female bartender, and in short order he offered Cassie her drink. The cocktail came in a dainty gold cup, filled to the brim with crushed ice and garnished with fresh strawberries and mint.

Cassie took a sip and nodded her approval, especially since the drink was both light and strong. Not too girly, despite the intricate fruit garnishes. She noticed that Gabriel had chosen a glass of port for himself and found herself glad he’d spared her the same.

“How’d you know what to order me?” she asked, curious.

A grin burst over Gabriel’s face, his eyes twinkling. Cassie’s lungs seized for a moment at the beauty of him, and she realized this was the first time she’d seen him smile fully.

“Actually, I asked the bartender what the Oracle gets,” he admitted, looking proud of himself. “I didn’t figure you for a port girl.”

“You figured right,” Cassie said, sipping her drink.

She turned her back to the bar and scanned the room, and then had an idea. Leaning up on her tiptoes, she tried to get close enough to Gabriel so that she wouldn’t be overheard by others.

“Order us another drink,” she murmured.

“Already?” he asked, lips twitching.

“When you order it, ask the bartender to send a glass of blood wine to Asangel. If you play it cool, she might make it easy for us,” Cassie explained.

Gabriel nodded, looking impressed, and turned to comply. Cassie pretended to focus on her drink as the blonde bartender poured blood wine into a golden chalice and handed it off to a stunning brunette waitress. Gabriel sipped his port and put a new cocktail into Cassie’s free hand, engaging her in some discussion about the bar’s interior design. Gabriel turned away from the dance floor to seem more casual, but his banter didn’t fool Cassie for a hot second.

Cassie nodded, watching the waitress over the rim of her cup. When the waitress handed the chalice off with a flirty wink, Cassie couldn’t help but stare at the recipient.

“Did it work? Do you see him?” Gabriel asked.

“Uhhh… yeah,” Cassie said, swallowing hard. Ciprian Asangel was six and a half feet of lithe, suave man. He might be a Vampire, but his dirty blonde hair, crinkling blue eyes, and brilliant grin were undeniably attractive. He wore a metallic blue suit that looked tailor-made, and the flock of women encircling him almost seemed like an accessory of sorts, an echo of his attractiveness.

Gabriel reached out and slid an arm around Cassie’s waist, pulling her close and dropping a kiss on the top of her head. He turned her in a smooth movement, but his grin faltered when he spotted Asangel.

“Didn’t expect him to be so bloody… like
that
,” Gabriel muttered. “Actually, I was sort of hoping he liked men. Would’ve made talking to him a lot easier.”

Cassie rubbed her lips together, knowing Gabriel wasn’t going to like her next words.

“I think we both know that I have to be the one to talk to him,” she said. “You might as well not even argue. You know I’m right.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed with annoyance, but Cassie could tell she’d won this round.

“Three minutes,” he said. “And he’d better not touch you, not if he likes having hands.”

“Take a breath,” Cassie sighed. “First of all, I’m not even your mate—”

Gabriel cut her off with a growl, cupping her jaw and giving her a quick, firm kiss. The brief contact sent a shiver down her spine, but Cassie pulled away.

“You’re not making things better,” she told him.

“I didn’t intend to,” Gabriel fired back.

“You don’t get to stake your claim here, buddy,” Cassie said, stepping back. “Now I’m going to go talk to that sexy Vampire, and you are going to stay right here and try not to ruin the bartender’s panties. Got it?”

Before Gabriel could say another word, Cassie left him and strode across the dance floor, weaving between bodies on the crowded dance floor. Cassie caught Asangel’s attention immediately, and it was everything she could do to keep from blushing as the handsome Vampire raked his ice-blue gaze up and down her body. His appraisal seemed as honest as it was frank, and when Cassie’s eyes locked onto Asangel’s she found herself flattered at the curious hunger she found there.

Cassie played her cards for all they were worth, swaying her hips as she strode up to the Vampire, a knowing smirk on her lips. Her confident attitude must have worked, because two of Asangel’s admirers backed up as Cassie approached, giving her space to stop less than a foot in front of him.