Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance (54 page)

Would Elissa stay with him?

Or would she leave forever?

Elissa looked at her coven.

She took a step back towards Payne. He couldn’t believe it, not even when she stopped beside him and slipped her free hand into his, clutching it tightly.

“You would align yourself with wretched bloodsuckers rather than your own kind?” The blonde witch looked as though she wanted to tear Elissa apart for it but she made no move to take the steps and enter the theatre.

They were scared. They knew who lived in this theatre and they feared entering it.

More of Elissa’s hair turned silver and Payne knew the witch had noticed it when her eyes narrowed and she spat on the stone steps, muttering something black and foul.

Payne moved in front of Elissa, protecting her as he always would. The witches glared at him and disappeared one by one, but it wasn’t over. Elissa’s hair had marked her for all to see as tainted and if she ever returned to the fae world, to her home, the witches there would see it and inform her coven. They would wait for her to leave the safety of vampire territory and then they would come after her.

And he would be there to protect her.

Wherever she went, he would be there for her.

He turned to face her. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to Antoine and ask if you can stay here until I find you somewhere you will both be safe.”

Elissa frowned. “I have found somewhere like that already.”

She had?

Was that why she had been leaving?

She took hold of his hand and smiled into his eyes. “Here, with you. If you’ll have us.”

Us.

Payne looked down to find a little boy with his head tilted right back, staring up at him. He looked eerily like Payne had as a boy. Did the boy think Payne looked like him too?

“Luca...” Elissa crouched so she was eye level with him. “This is Payne.”

Luca stared at him again and then sleepily rubbed his eyes and held his hand out. Elissa gave Payne an expectant look. Payne took the boy’s tiny hand in his.

“Nice to meet you.” The boy shook his hand and then paused and frowned. He moved underneath Payne’s arm and stroked the symbols on his dirty skin, and then looked up at him again. “You’re like me. My daddy said I would get these too, when I’m a grown up. Are you my big brother?”

Payne smiled and ruffled his sandy hair. “Something like that, Kid.”

It was better he play big brother to the little Hell spawn than treat the small boy as his uncle. It still felt weird to have an uncle who was several hundred years younger than he was.

“Is daddy here too?” Luca looked around him and Elissa caught his shoulders, bringing the boy to face her.

“He had to go away... but Payne is going to take care of us.” Elissa smoothed her fingers across the boy’s cheek and he smiled at her, dark eyes overflowing with affection. “We’re going to live here together... with some other nice people... like a family.”

Payne choked.

Elissa frowned up at him and then her expression softened. He cursed the lingering connection between their blood or perhaps it was her natural talents that allowed her to see straight through him to the feelings he was trying to hide. Affection. Fear. Hope. And a lot of confusion and a bit more fear. With another helping of fear on top.

Family?

She stood and Luca settled into her side, resting his head on her leg. She wrapped one arm around him and Payne noticed that she was covering his ear and pressing the other one to her body.

“Just... let him think it for now. Please? He’s been through so much,” she whispered, her silvery eyes imploring him. “He needs a family.”

A family. Payne looked down at Luca. Someone to love him unconditionally. Someone to teach him about the world and being an incubus, and how to control his hungers and embrace his nature. Someone to protect him and keep him safe, and never let anyone hurt him or discover his name and use it against him. Someone who would always be on his side, always there for him, no matter what.

All the things Payne had never had.

Until now.

He looked at Elissa and saw all those things in her as she stared into his eyes, hers full of love and acceptance.

His true mate.

He held his hand out to her and tried to stop it from shaking. “What if it didn’t have to be for now... what if it could be forever?”

Elissa’s soft lips curved into a beautiful smile and she placed her hand into his. He drew her to him, stepping into her at the same time, caught her cheek with his other hand and tilted her head back so he could see into her eyes. His salvation. His whole world. She had given him everything he had never dared dream of having and he would do the same for her. He would love her forever and raise Luca with her, as a family.

“We’ll drive you crazy,” she said.

“I know.” He smiled.

“You’ll never get a moment’s peace.”

“I know.” His smile widened. She would end up giving him peace because he had a suspicion that the females of Vampirerotique would keep her busy for a lot of her time. Kristina was due to birth twins soon and Sera and Chica doted on her. He had noticed the way Sera had looked at Luca tonight. They would be all over him like a rash. He was going to end up spoiled.

“And I’m going to make you submit to me every night.”

Payne purred inside at that but put on his best poker face. “You can try, Witch.”

She smiled sassily. “And I will succeed, Vampubus.”

“Vampubus? Seriously?” He frowned at her.

“Incupire?”

His frown became a black scowl.

“How about... mate?” she said and he was man enough to admit he melted inside a little at the sound of her calling him that, and the thought that she was going to give him the second chance with her that he desired.

He purred aloud now and growled as he gathered her closer. “Mate.”

He dipped his head to kiss her.

“Ew.” The small voice made him freeze and look down. Luca grinned at him and raised both hands towards him. “Up.”

Payne heaved a sigh, already wondering when he would get his witch alone again so he could make up for the last time they had made love and show her that if she stuck with him, he would make it worth her while. He would play her games and give her pleasure she had never known, and he would gladly submit to her, and only her.

He bent, caught Luca under his arms and scooped him up, holding him in the air, causing the young boy to laugh. “Swing me.”

Elissa stepped back to give them room and Payne wasn’t sure this was a good idea. He didn’t know how strong the boy was or whether he would hurt him, but Elissa’s soft look of approval said he could do as Luca had asked.

Payne did two full spins with him, sending the boy’s legs flying outwards and turning him into a giggling mess. He slowed to a halt, a little dizzy himself, and Elissa came back to them.

Elissa’s smile stopped Payne’s heart and she stared into his eyes, hers shining with love and happiness. He was new to this parenting thing but he had a feeling that with Elissa tutoring him, he would get the hang of it before long, and Elissa would get her wish, and so would he. They would be family.

Elissa stepped up to him and his heart beat again, thumping hard against his chest with anticipation. She stroked both his and Luca’s cheeks, and then looked deep into Payne’s eyes, her smile holding and her blood telling him that she would always look at him this way, with unconditional love and devotion.

Payne snaked his free arm around her back and drew her against him, holding both her and Luca close to him.

He would prove to her that he could be a good man, the man she needed him to be, and that she would never have to fear him again if she gave him this chance with her.

He looked down into her eyes and teleported them to his room.

Elissa settled Luca in Payne’s four-poster bed, drawing the dark grey covers over him. The room was a little sombre for her tastes, decorated in shades of grey, but it suited Payne for some reason. Luca looked restless and she stroked his brow, sweeping the rogue strands of sandy hair from it and trying to soothe him. He had been through a lot tonight and needed to sleep. They had all been through a lot. She gently used her magic to help him fall asleep again and looked up at Payne as the spell took hold.

Payne stood in the middle of the room, bloodstained and beaten, his eyes locked on her. She blushed under the intensity of his gaze. It wasn’t hunger or desire filling them now. There was affection in them as he watched her with Luca, and it warmed her, soothing away her fears. The past few hours had been insane, from Arnaud’s attempt to violate her to Payne coming to her rescue, and from landing on the stage in the middle of an extremely naughty act, one she would be asking about later, to being attacked by incubi and threatened by her coven.

Not to mention how rocky things had been between her and Payne. The man fluctuated between cold and warm towards her so rapidly that she couldn’t keep track, but she could understand why his mood kept swinging violently from one end of the spectrum to the other. He was afraid.

So was she.

She didn’t fear Payne. She already knew in her heart that he would never hurt her or behave as he had the last time they had made love, because she had vowed to never push him over the edge again. She was afraid that she would do or say something to make him feel he would hurt her, or make him feel that they couldn’t be together, or she thought he was messed up and a monster. She feared he would leave her now that he had made her fall in love with him.

Now that he had made her want to be his mate with all of her heart.

“So... a dirty theatre... seriously?” She had to say something to break the heavy silence between them and lighten the mood.

He smirked. “I know what you’re thinking. I can’t accept my incubus nature but I work in a place that deals in erotic shows and sex. I’m only here temporarily to cover for a friend of my family.”

That sounded like the Payne she knew. His family had turned their backs on him but he had never been able to turn his on them. He still sought a way to gain their love again. He wanted his family back. A small part of her heart hoped that desire would be fulfilled by having her and Luca in his life. They could be family.

“Not everyone here are vampires... are they?” she said and he shook his head.

She had figured out that there was another fae here, and judging by her appearance and what she had done to the big vampire everyone had called Snow, she was a succubus. It was strange seeing a succubus acting friendly towards an incubus. Elissa had wanted to intervene when the woman had pulled Payne into a hug that had pressed the full length of her rather shapely body against his.

“That’s a dark look,” Payne said, his smile widening as though he knew what she was thinking. “Chica didn’t mean anything by it... but I’m flattered that you’re jealous.”

Elissa levelled him with a glare. He was reassured more like. She stifled her desire to sigh and stood instead, smoothed her top down and crossed the room to him. She took hold of both of his hands and looked up into his eyes, catching the sparks of blue and gold that shone against the cool grey. How could she make him see that she was here to stay and that she had truly meant what she had told him? There had to be a way to reassure him that she wasn’t going to treat him as others had in his life and that her feelings for him would never die, they would only grow over the coming years.

“I meant what I said downstairs, Payne. You don’t have to keep doubting me. I want to be your mate.”

He closed his eyes and hung his head, a sigh escaping his sensual lips, drawing her gaze to them. “I want that too... but...”

“No buts.” Elissa released his left hand and raised hers to his face, cupping his cheek and lifting his chin so he was looking into her eyes again. “I know you... I see you... and I believe you’re good mate material and that you’ll keep your promise to protect me and Luca... what happened back at the incubi den can’t colour our future together. I won’t let it. I pushed you too far and I knew the risks. I should have stopped myself. I know how dangerous it was of me to do what I did and I understand you better now. It won’t happen again. I trust you, Payne... I want to be with you. I want to be your mate.”

“Why?” his voice cracked and her heart went out to him again as his eyes searched hers. He needed more from her and she was willing to give it to him, to take the leap and risk her heart, because he had suffered so much rejection and darkness in his life that he couldn’t bring himself to be the one to do it.

Elissa smiled into his eyes. “Because I’m in love with you.”

He closed his eyes, snaked his arm around her waist and dragged her against him, clutching her hard against his body. His free hand settled against the back of her head and she shut her eyes as she rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart, feeling him trembling.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, voice strained and hoarse, laden with emotion. He smoothed his hand through her long hair and she knew he was looking at it, watching as the strands turned silver. Verity had taken to dyeing hers to conceal what she had done.

Elissa would never do that.

“Don’t be,” she said and drew back enough that she could look up into his eyes. “I don’t regret what we did. I want the world to know that I belong to you, and that I’m not ashamed of what we have done... because I love you.”

Payne pulled her back to him and kissed her, claiming her lips with such ferocity that she melted into him, lost in how good it felt to be back in his arms and to feel things between them were beginning to find solid even ground again.

She returned his kiss, dancing her lips over his, savouring the way he held her so close to him that she could feel his heart pounding against her breasts. He would never let her go. She knew that and it touched her, soothed her, and she wanted him to know that she felt the same way. She would never let him go. She would always fight for him, even during the times when he hit rock bottom and his past haunted him. She would be there to tell him that she loved him, all of him, and that the past was behind him now, something they would help him deal with together so he could put it to rest and accept that there was good in his life at last.