Ensnared: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance (9 page)

I ran my finger over the top of the largest painting.
Somehow I knew I was never going to show these. But they’d served their
purpose. If I hadn’t made these paintings, I’d never have been able to go
deeper.

Outside the windows, the sun was setting. By now, Malik had
sent out an alarm. I needed to get back to the hotel before the man went apeshit.

I grabbed my favorite T-shirt and jeans—the ones I usually
painted in—and stuffed them into a canvas bag. I was turning to leave when I
came back and got the small eight-by-ten-inch painting of my mom. I’d painted
it when I was still a teenager from a photo taken a few months before she died.
The painting wasn’t that good technically, but it was all I had to remember her
by.

The last time I’d seen my dad, he’d knocked me on my ass and
gone looking for it, saying he was going to burn it. “You think you’re a fucking
artist?” he’d yelled, snatching up one of my sketchbooks and ripping out the
sketches one by one and throwing them on the floor. “You’ll never be an artist.
You’ll never be anything but a drain on some man.”

Then he reached for the portrait of my mom, but I lunged
past him and got to it first. “No,” I growled, holding it to my chest. “You
can’t have it.”

He was so shocked, he went stock still. Then he roared my
name, but I had already darted past him and out of the apartment. I never went
back.

Now I wrapped the painting carefully in another T-shirt and
put it in the bag.

Outside, I hurried toward Orleans Street, a major road where
I could catch a taxi. As I turned the corner, I saw a familiar cropped Afro
ahead of me.

“Janelle?”

It
was
her. She turned around. “Star?” Her eyes
widened and then she grinned. “How are you, girl?”

“I’m okay.”

“That’s good, that’s good. I wondered what happened that
night at Oakley’s.”

“Oakley accused me of ripping him off.”

Her plucked black brows shot up. “He did?”

“Yeah—a hundred grand.”

She blinked. “You’re shitting me.”

“I didn’t take it,” I added. “In case you’re wondering.”

“No, no, of course not. Not your style.”  She glanced at my
outfit. “But it looks like it worked out then. You and the vamp.”

I inhaled sharply.
She knew about Remy?

Things fell in place with an audible snap. Janelle had been
the one who recommended me for the job. In a club I’d never heard about, that
within days had accused me of theft. And Remy had been right there to rescue
me.

Suddenly, I
knew.

“Yeah,” I said, and, taking a stab in the dark, added,
“Thanks for getting me the job.”

She shrugged. “No thanks necessary. That dude—Malik—paid me
enough.”

Fury punched through me. For a few moments, I couldn’t
breathe, I was so angry.

Janelle had been in on this?

And Remy. The bastard had set the whole thing up.

I drew a jagged breath. “You knew? That he wanted me to be
his fucking blood whore?”

“Well, not exactly. All I had to do was tell you about the
job at the club.”

“But you knew. Because why else would a vampire want me?”

She had the grace to look ashamed. “Five thousand dollars,
Star—and all I had to do was let you know about that job at the club, and then
swear never to tell you how you got it. But I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t
thought it was for your own good. You know you needed the money. Hell, for the
kind of money a vamp pays, I’d have done it myself. But Malik said that de la
Lune wanted you.”

“And you took the money over me? We’re friends, Janelle. At
least I thought we were.”

“What was the harm? I didn’t know anything about you getting
beat on. I bet that wasn’t the vamp’s idea.”

“No,” I agreed bitterly. “Remy wouldn’t want his dinner
harmed.”

She set a hand on her hip. “What are you so pissed off
about? You could have just said no.”

“No,” I snarled, “I couldn’t. Oakley—or Malik—set it up to
look like I’d ripped the club off for a hundred grand. I had one day to come up
with the money.
One fucking day
.”

Janelle blinked. Then she scowled back. “Well, anyway. Looks
like the vamp treats you good. I mean, those are designer jeans, girlfriend—and
I bet he gave you a whole closetful.”

“That’s not the point. You set me up.” My fists clenched. I
was a heartbeat away from knocking her on her ass. “Friends don’t do that to
friends.”

“Okay, okay.” She raised her palms and backed away. “Calm
down. I’m sorry, all right?”

“Fuck sorry.” I dug my fingernails into my palms and took a
deep breath. I wanted to slap her silly, but she wasn’t the one I was really
angry at. “You know what, Janelle? Just go to hell.” I strode off, so pissed
off at Janelle, Remy, and the rest of them that my chest was a tight, seething
knot.

I reached Orleans Street and turned east, forgetting all
about catching a taxi. It was completely dark now, but I barely noticed.

I turned south toward the Inner Harbor. I had walked halfway
back when I realized I didn’t have to return at all. I had Remy’s bonus. I
could just take it and run. It would serve the son of a bitch right.

Tears pricked my eyes. I swiped them angrily away. How could
I have let myself believe that Remy de la Lune was anything but a beautiful,
lying snake?

Whatever Oakley had done, Remy had been behind it. Oh, Malik
had done the dirty work, but at Remy’s orders. Because
someone
had to
have doctored the video to make it look like I had stolen that money.

I shook my head.
God, I was stupid
. The man had moved
me around like a chess piece. How could I have been so blind not to see it?
Remy de la Lune had wanted me from that first morning on my stoop. He was rich
and had the resources needed to hire the best hackers in the world, not to
mention Malik’s unquestionable loyalty to him.

And to think I’d been missing him. My stomach clenched. I
wasn’t just an idiot; I was a pathetic, lovesick idiot.

I’d almost reached the Inner Harbor; I could see the rooftop
of Remy’s hotel from here.

My chin shot up. “Fuck you,” I growled and marched forward.

I was
not
going to slink away as if I were the lying,
sneaking son of a bitch. I was going to have it out with Remy, and
then
I was going to leave.

By now it was late enough that the downtown area had emptied
of office workers, and all the tourists were either at dinner or in their
hotels. Suddenly, I realized I was the only one on this particular block.

My skin prickled warily. I was passing a parking garage
illuminated only by two small red lights, signaling it was closed. I hurried
past the entrance.

Steps sounded inside the garage. I whipped my head around to
see two men in black suits moving toward me.

Hell.

I broke into a run, but barely got a few yards when one of
them somehow appeared in front of me. At the same time a hand clamped on my
shoulder from behind and jerked me to a halt.

I froze, breathing hard.

The man in front gave a slow smile that froze me to the
marrow. “Good evening,
Signorina
,” he said in a thick Italian accent. “I
have been looking for you.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Remy

I was on my feet the instant the jet touched down at
the Baltimore airport.

I’d left Paris bone-weary. Not tired—as a vampire, I wasn’t
prone to such a human weakness—just weary with my life, and what it sometimes required
of me.

The trouble in Paris had been traced to two of my top
people, one a woman I’d turned myself three hundred years ago. I’d had to kill
them both. I’d done it unflinchingly—it was them or me—but it had left a bad
taste in my mouth.

Before they’d died, I’d compelled them to tell me the whole
story. They’d fought the compulsion with everything they had, but I was
stronger—and angry. The man behind this was an Italian named Lorenzo who’d been
turned just a few years after me. My clan was made up of five covens, and
Lorenzo was lord of a branch on the Italian/French border.

But Lorenzo wanted it all. I’d wasted a whole day hunting
the S.O.B. until I learned he’d gone to ground somewhere in Italy.

This wasn’t over. As far as I was concerned, Lorenzo was a
dead man.

But while my people traced him, I left for the States, eager
to get back to Star. I hadn’t fed since I’d left her, save for a couple of bottles
of pre-packaged blood. My spirited little courtesan had ruined me for other
women.

Now all I wanted to do was sink myself into her warm,
welcoming body—and feed. My beast and I were in complete agreement—we needed
Star.
Now
.

I pressed the intercom button. “Faster,” I told the
chauffeur.

“Yes, sir.”

I sat back and waited impatiently as he drove the few miles
remaining to the hotel. The bond between Star and myself had grown while I’d
been away. I had sensed it even in France, but now, as the limo headed into
Baltimore, it strengthened with every mile.

My fangs lengthened in anticipation. I would take her to
bed, and then tell her the good news—my men had traced her father to the
Philippines. We had him now. I’d ordered them to find him and bring him to France.
I intended to keep my promise to her, but Tommy Salazar was going to pay for
every bruise he’d ever put on her—outside
and
inside.

Malik met me in the lobby. “Monsieur.” His big fists were
balled.

 I knew something was wrong, but I wasn’t in the mood for
anything but Star right now. “Later,” I snapped.

“But
monsieur
”—Malik hurried after me into the
elevator—“this is important.”

“What?” The doors closed behind us and I hit the button for
the top floor.

“It’s about Mademoiselle Salazar.”

I swung my head in his direction. “Talk,” I said in a low,
dangerous voice.

Sweat beaded on his broad forehead. “She—I—”

“What?” My hand was around his throat before I realized I’d
moved. I gave him a hard shake. “What the fuck did you do?”

 He met my eyes. “Nothing,
monsieur
. I swear. She—she
just disappeared. We went outside for her walk, and the next thing I knew she
was gone. I had a second man as backup that even she didn’t know about, but
somehow she got away from both of us.”

My heart clenched.

I knew damn well Malik didn’t like Star, but hell, he didn’t
like anyone who grew too close to me. But I also knew through the blood bond
that Malik would do whatever it took to keep her safe, which is why I’d left
him in charge of her protection.

Now I inhaled slowly, testing his scent for lies—just in
case. But he was telling the truth. I shoved him away, disgusted. “When?”

“About ninety minutes ago.” I snarled and he hurried to say,
“I have five men out looking for her.”

I bit out a curse. “Damn that woman.”

I should’ve set that compulsion on her so she couldn’t leave
the hotel—or at least, so she’d feel compelled to stay near Malik at all times.
But no, I’d been weak. When she’d told me to stop, I had.

The woman was in serious trouble. When I found her, she was
going to be lucky if I didn’t turn her over my knee and spank some sense into
her.

But first I had to find her.

I slammed my hand onto the elevator buttons. We lurched to a
stop at the fourth floor. I flew out of the elevator and toward the stairs, my
whole self focused on the bond linking me to Star.

Then it wavered. I concentrated harder.

Goddamn it to hell.
Someone else was feeding on her.

My whole body went cold.

“Call off your men,” I ordered Malik, who was close on my
heels. “There’s nothing they can do. A vampire has her, maybe more than one.
And then stand by in the limousine. I’ll let you know where to come as soon as
I find her.”

Because I
would
find her—or die trying.

I was in the stairwell now. I swung over the railing,
dropped the four stories to the ground floor and raced through the foyer at
vampire-fast speed past a couple of open-mouthed hotel guests.

I hit the street at a full-out run. She was about two miles
away. At this speed, I could cover the distance in five minutes.

I prayed to the dark gods that would be fast enough.

Because I had a bad feeling I’d discovered where Lorenzo had
gone after France.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Star

The two vampires bundled me into a black sedan and headed
west.

Smart
. West Baltimore had neighborhoods where you
could shoot a man dead in front of a dozen witnesses and no one would admit to
having seen a thing.

We stopped at a red light and I surreptitiously felt for the
door handle.

A chilly hand descended on my thigh. “I wouldn’t if I were
you.”

It was the Italian vampire, the one who seemed to be in
charge. He had olive skin and the golden-brown eyes of a wolf.

The other man was at the wheel. He had pale skin and British
features, and hadn’t spoken except to say, “Yes, sir,” or “No, sir.”

The Italian vampire stroked my thigh. His fangs gleamed in
the shadows and I froze. I knew that meant he was preparing to feed.

“You wouldn’t get two meters before I’d be on you,” he
added. “But be my guest…I like to chase my prey.”

I dragged in a breath and released the handle.

We drove down an unlit alley and stopped behind a decrepit
warehouse. The parking lot was illuminated by a single weak light. A dumpster
at one end of the lot spilled over with trash and all three loading-dock doors
sported graffiti.

The driver clicked a remote and the middle door lifted with
a screech of metal. We drove inside and the door clanged back to the ground,
leaving us in darkness save for a ring of amber-tinted lights around the warehouse’s
perimeter. Not that there was anything to see. The large, cave-like interior
was empty except for us.

The vampire reached across me to open the door. “After you,
Signorina
Salazar.”

He knew my name.

A chill ran down my spine. I’d been too busy thinking about escape
to wonder why I’d been kidnapped, but now I realized this hadn’t been random.
These men had been after me.

The driver got out of the car, but I stayed right where I
was. “Who are you?”

“Lorenzo. Lord Lorenzo. The Count spoke of me, perhaps?”

I shook my head. “Never heard of you.”

Lorenzo didn’t like that. With a scowl, he slid past me and
exited the car, and then reached in for me. His hands settled on my upper arms
and I flinched at how cold they were. Unlike Remy, he either didn’t bother to
warm his skin, or couldn’t. It was like being touched by a dead man.

“Come.”

I planted my feet on the car floor and grabbed the handle
above the door, but he plucked me out as easily as if I were a child. The next instant,
I was up against the side of the car and he was yanking my hair out of the way.
His mouth descended, fangs extended.

My heart skittered. “
No
.” I shoved against his chest
and broke away, but he was on me before I got two feet.

I panicked, screaming and wrenching myself from side to
side, but he was too strong. When I came back to myself, he had me pinned
against the car, wrists on either side of my head.

He eyed me with a feral expression that made my skin crawl.
“Delicious.” He inhaled deeply. “I can’t wait to taste you. I may keep you
around a few days just to feed from you.”

I swallowed dryly and lifted my chin. “Remy will come after
me. If you’re smart, you’ll let me go now and then get the hell out of here.
Now.”

“Of course he’ll come after you.” Lorenzo’s mouth touched my
throat. “I’m counting on it.” His teeth tore into my skin.

It was like being stabbed by two red-hot pokers. I gasped
and whipped my head from side to side, trying to dislodge him, but he was too
strong. His hands clamped on my wrists like manacles and he sucked harder.

For a few endless seconds, I was paralyzed. Beneath the terror,
I was stunned at how different this was from when Remy had fed; I hadn’t
realized until then how careful he’d been.

Then somehow I summoned up the strength to fight him. I
bucked against his body. “
Get off me
.”

He grunted, but his grip on my right wrist loosened. I
wrenched it free and raked my fingernails down his cheek.

He growled, but didn’t stop feeding, just grabbed my wrist again
and used his body to hold me immobile against the car. He ground his cock
against my belly and I knew it was only a matter of time before he dragged off
my jeans.

I could feel myself weakening. “Remy,” I heard myself say
from somewhere far away. Then again, more strongly, “
Remy
.”

Because I
knew
he was back in Baltimore, and that he
was looking for me. The blood bond he’d spoken of flared up within me.

Lorenzo lifted his head. His eyes were glowing gold, his
lips stained red. He looked like the predator from hell.

I shrank back against the car, too terrified even to scream.

“Call him,” he taunted. “That’s a good little human. Call
him to me.”

I clamped my mouth shut. He laughed and sank his teeth into
me again, drinking deeply.

Two dark shapes moved behind him, and I realized there were
two other vamps in the garage. With the driver, they made a half circle around
us, eyeing me with bright, avid eyes, obviously waiting their turn to feed.

A sense of doom filled me. I no longer had the energy to
struggle. I was going to die here in this cold, desolate garage.

Dark spots danced before my eyes. I bucked against Lorenzo
in a last attempt to push him away, and then slumped against the car.

He growled and, without lifting his face from my throat,
shifted me higher so he could keep feeding.

There was a sound at the warehouse entrance. The middle door
blew open and fell to the concrete floor in a crash that reverberated
throughout the cavernous space.

Lorenzo cursed and lifted his mouth from me.

My breath sobbed out. With my last ounce of energy, I turned
my head to see Remy striding into the warehouse like an avenging angel in a
sleek gray suit.

Then everything went black.