Deceptive Changes: Kat LaMond Book 1 (17 page)

Life went on as normal.  No attacks from Cyril came.  We didn’t have a care in the world.  Thorn kept his attention strictly focused on both Beatrice and Ardeness.  Sven kept to himself.  Once in a while I’d donate some blood but it was nothing like the first time.  From that point on any blood that Sven got from me was, one, from my wrist, and two, was done in the sitting room.

I went back to work and caught up on all my paperwork.  I sold a few houses and everything was rosy until today.

Today I was tied to a chair in my office and a very bad man was staring down at me.  The vampire was the one that got away when I killed Jack, the human that worked for Cyril and had hired the bounty hunter back in Germany.  Apparently, the vampire remembered and had been after me for some time.  It seemed like a lifetime ago that this had happened. 

Today was a lovely Saturday and no one was at the office, so I figured I could go to work, since I had to finish some paperwork I had left from last night.  When I had walked in I was hit on the shoulder and as I fell I hit my head on the hard floor and lost consciousness.  So, that’s how I came to be tied to a chair in my office.  I was working on being pissed but my head was hurting too much.

The big black vampire looked at me with something close to rage or maybe it was just hatred.  “Why are you doing this?”

“You killed my brother.” 

I sucked in a breath.  His brother?  Shit.  “And you think, what, by killing me it’ll make things better?”

“It’s a start,” he said with a nod. 

“Won’t Cyril be mad if you kill me?  I think he was looking forward to killing me himself.”

“I don’t care about Cyril and his stupid vendettas.  This is between you and me.  Now, shut up.” 

I couldn’t keep quiet for long.  “What are you waiting for?”

“It doesn’t matter who I’m waiting for.  You’ll like it.”  He gave me a look that sent my heart fleeing for its life. 

A few minutes later a familiar face came into view.  It was Thorn.  I stared in shock as he walked up to me and grabbed my hair roughly, exposing my throat.  He looked at me and smiled.  He was insane.  How was I going to get away from an insane vampire?  I had no idea.  His fangs slid down and he bit my neck.  Pain sizzled through me.

He took a couple of swallows and then pulled back.  “That’s for dissing me.  You’re such a bitch.  You wouldn’t even give me the same things you gave Sven.”

“I didn’t give him anything.” 

He slapped my face.  “Don’t lie to me, bitch.” 

I cringed as he put his hand to my face.  He swiped a finger along my lip and put the finger into my mouth.  I bit his finger.  He growled and slapped me even harder than he had before.  I tasted his blood but I could also taste the coppery metal flavor of my own blood mixing in my mouth.

“What the fuck do you want, Thorn?” I yelled at him and blood flew out, droplets speckling his neck and shirt. 

“I want all of you, your blood, your body, everything.” 

My heart flew into my stomach, trying to hide from the words, I think.  “Fuck you, Thorn.  The only way you’re getting my body is if you kill me.  You better fucking kill me or I will kill you
and
that big galoot.”  They chuckled at my threat.

I pulled at my bindings, they were good and tight.  There was no way I was getting out of them.  I prayed for something, anything.  Thorn grabbed my jaw and held me still.  I looked into his brown eyes, eyes that shined with my blood. 

The big vampire said, “Hurry up, man.  You’re taking too long.”

Thorn bent down to my ear, licking just behind my ear and whispered, “Sorry.”  He bit my neck and took several long swallows of blood.  He let my jaw go and, as he turned, I saw him take the letter opener from the desk.  He stabbed the big vampire in the heart and twisted, and then he grabbed the big vampire’s head and twisted until it popped off.  Blood showered both of us.  I was relieved that I didn’t have to deal with the big guy but I was scared to death that Thorn was still going to kill me.

Thorn tossed the head to the side and stalked up to me.  He still looked scary-insane.  He lightly wound his hand through my hair and pulled my head back.  He ran his other hand along my neck and down to the top of my breast.  His tongue slid out of his mouth as his hand massaged my breast.  I could feel my heart beating hard in my throat.  I also knew that he could hear it.

He bent his head and kissed me.  I kept my mouth closed but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.  He bit my mouth.  I hissed in pain as blood started to flow from my bottom lip.  He pulled on my hair roughly as he suckled the blood from my lip.

He removed his mouth and whispered, “Why don’t you want me?” 

I blinked into his eyes.  “Because you’re trying to kill me.” 

He rolled his eyes.  “Before this moment.  Why didn’t you want me?” 

I thought about it for a moment.  “You’re young.  I have all the men I can handle.” 

“But you took Sven to your bed.” 

I shook my head, “I didn’t.  He took blood only.  Todd kicked him out.” 

He crushed his mouth to mine.  I kept my lips sealed.  He just pushed at me until the blood from my lip started bleeding more heavily, then he ate hungrily at me.

I tried to move my head from his but he was too strong.  He gripped my hair tighter and pressed firmly to my mouth.  His other hand was playing with my neck and chest.  He grabbed my breast so rough that I cried out in pain.  He took advantage and stuck his tongue in my mouth for a second, tasting me.

All at once he let me go.  He stepped away from me so fast that he was just a blur.  I didn’t understand what was going on. 

He flew against the wall hard enough to buckle it.  Sven stood in his way.  He grabbed Thorn by the collar and threw him against the other wall.  I could hear bones breaking and Thorn moaned in pain.

Sven broke my binding with his hands.  I was free.  I ran away from him.  I knew he was there to protect me but I didn’t want him to touch me.  He turned his back on me and grabbed Thorn.  “Come on, Katja.  We have to go.”  He dragged Thorn out of the office.  I hesitated and then followed.  “You have to drive.”  He had Thorn in the back seat of Todd’s truck.  I hopped in the driver’s seat and took off.

I slammed on the brakes when a car pulled in front of me.  I tapped my hands on the steering wheel as the car in front of me crawled along Main Street.  I heaved sigh after sigh until the car turned a corner.  The road ahead was clear.  I tramped on the accelerator and made it home in record time.  I stopped the truck and hopped out.  Sven was already dragging Thorn into the house.  I ran after them.

Everyone was standing around Sven as he tossed Thorn on the ground.  Beatrice and Ardeness tried to run up to him but Sven held out his hand.  They stayed back but were too close for my comfort. 

Todd walked up calmly to Sven and asked him what had happened.  Sven filled him in.  I guess Todd hadn’t even seen me yet.  I walked closer and Todd turned.  He let out a gasp as he took me in.  Trace and Erick turned and gasped.  I guess I didn’t look sexy.

“Don’t kill him yet.  I need to speak with him,” I muttered as I walked off. 

I went directly into the bathroom and locked the door, not that half the people in the house couldn’t break the door down.  I gasped as I looked at my face.  I was still bleeding from my lip but it was just so much blood in a black and blue face.  I had bruises where Thorn had hit me.  My neck was bleeding and raw.  I turned the water on and washed my face.  The soap stung the scrapes and bruises. 

I grabbed a towel and gently wiped my face and neck.  Blood was all over the towel.  I put it back on my neck to hold in the blood.  I walked out of the bathroom and found my guys sitting on the bed. 

“What happened?”  Todd didn’t even wait for an answer.  He stepped over to me and pulled me into his arms.  I wrapped my arm around him and held him to me.  He was warm.  I hadn’t realized that I was even cold.  Now that I realized it, I started to shiver.

Trace and Erick came up to us and wrapped their warm bodies around me.  I kept the towel to my neck as they stepped back.  I told them what had happened.  They were furious. 

I cautioned them on their anger.  “Don’t kill him.  I know it sounds weird but I don’t know if I can deal with that right now.”  They nodded.  “I’m going out to speak with him.”  I walked out of the room without looking back.  I knew they’d follow.

I walked into the sitting room and found Thorn held in place, against the wall, by Sven.  Thorn’s eyes widened when he looked at me.  I tilted my head at him.  What was he thinking?  Did he think that I was going to kill him?  Did he want me to kill him? 

I waved Sven off and he reluctantly let Thorn go.  I walked up to the vampire.  He didn’t try to move or defend himself.  I punched him in the stomach and as he bent over I used my knee and whacked him in the face.  He went down to the ground.

“That’s for taking my blood without permission and kidnapping me.”  I kneeled next to him, grabbed his jaw tightly in my hand, and asked, “Why did you do it?” 

Before he could answer someone hit me in the back.  I fell onto Thorn.  I pushed off him and found Beatrice being held by Sven.  I stared angrily at her.  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Beatrice?”

“I can’t let you hurt him.  It’s my fault.” 

I waved a hand at her.  “I don’t fucking care.  At this moment, you are to leave me alone.”  I turned back to Thorn.  He was still lying on the ground, curled around his pain.  “Take her somewhere else.  I’ll deal with her in a minute.”  I heard her struggle as she was taken from the room.

I kneeled back down and grabbed his jaw.  “Why did you do it?”  He just looked at me.  I sighed and let his face go.  I wiped his blood from my hand and stood up.  “Put him somewhere safe.  I still need to question him.  Make sure he can’t get away.”  Thorn mumbled something.  “What was that?”

“I won’t leave.  I deserve what I get.”  He let his head fall back to the floor.  I shook my head. 

Sven walked up to me and pulled the towel from my neck.  He bent his head and licked the wound.  I could feel the sting of his saliva as the wound closed.  “Thanks,” I mumbled and stepped away from him.  He let his hand trail along my collar bone as I walked away from him. 

I let my shoulders sag a moment and then went to find Beatrice.  I found her in her room.  Ardeness was sitting on the bed with her, stroking her back as she cried.  “Beatrice?”

She snapped her head up and screamed.  “How could you?” 

I stared at her.  I didn’t understand her question.  Did she think I killed Thorn?  “What are you talking about, Beatrice?”

“How could you take him from us?  He’s ours, not yours.”  Oh.

“I didn’t take him away from you, Beatrice.”  I wasn’t about to explain what was going on.  She didn’t need to know nor did she want to know.  She glared at me even as tears continued to track down her cheeks.  Ardeness just looked at me.  She wasn’t as hurt by this as I feared.  She kept her hand on Beatrice and petted her.

“You have to trust me, Beatrice.  I don’t want him.  He’s yours, as long as he doesn’t try to kill me again.”

“He would never try and kill you.  You lie.” 

I blinked at her.  Ardeness made shh sounds at Beatrice.  “I’ll talk with her, Katja,” Ardeness whispered.  I nodded and left the room.  There was no talking with her anyway.

I went into the kitchen and found my guys, and Sven, sitting at the table.  They weren’t saying anything and didn’t look like they really wanted to talk.  I grabbed beers and passed them around.  I opened mine and took a long swallow.

I gave a sardonic chuckle and said, “Beatrice hates me.”

Sven said, “Thorn’s chained in the ‘dungeon’.  He won’t be leaving anyway.  He doesn’t want to.  He’s surprised you spared his life, as am I.  I figured you’d have killed him.”

“He wasn’t truly going to kill me.”  What the hell was I saying?  I blinked as I heard the words tumble out of my mouth.  “He killed the big vampire.  He only took some blood and tried to kiss me.  Otherwise, it wasn’t more that.  He didn’t truly threaten my life just my body and blood.”  Why was I justifying his actions?  I didn’t even understand myself sometimes.  It seemed to hold off the anger from my guys.  I turned to Sven.  “Thanks for saving my life.”  Even though I had just justified Thorn’s actions, I was still grateful to Sven for getting me out.

I thought a moment.  “I have to go back to the office.  I have to get rid of the body and clean the place up.” 

Todd shook his head.  “Charles and the others are already there.  They should have the place cleaned shortly.  You so owe them dinner.” 

I smiled slightly.  “I sure do.”  I grabbed my cell phone and the phone book.  I flipped through and found a nice restaurant.  I made reservations for Charles and Nadja, and Sandra and Mark.  It was set for three hours from now. 

“I think we can stay home.  Besides, someone has to stay and watch the bad little vampire downstairs.” 

Sven looked at me.  “I could stay here if you’d like to go to dinner with your men.” 

I shook my head.  “Thanks and all but I’m very tired.  I think I’ll sleep for a week and then go eat.”  I chuckled at my attempt at humor, and walked out of the kitchen.