Fury Calls (13 page)

Tonight he had all three women pleasing him physically. That he could order them to do anything he wished only increased the gratification he took from his debaucheries.

“Baobei,”
he said to the Chinese girl on her knees before him.

A shy smile came to her face, and she bent her head obediently. “This treasure would like to please you, Sun Tze.”

At his curt nod, she encircled his flaccid penis and from behind him he heard, “May I pleasure you as well?”

He glanced over his shoulder at the tall African-American girl, and something cold slithered down his back. As he spied what was missing from the wall of the back room, he grinned and said, “Why of course, my pet.”

The third woman—the young blonde who reminded him too much of the feisty chef—took a place at his side. With a sexy pout, she rubbed her naked breasts against his arm. “What? No room for me?”

“Do not worry. There is enough of me for all of you,” he said, but a rough gasp was torn from his throat as the woman behind him finally penetrated him and the woman on her knees took him into her mouth.

Not to be left out, the blonde beside him reached down and cupped his balls. With practiced caresses she squeezed and fondled him, stroking the sensitive gap between his balls as the two other women continued with their ministrations as well, building his passion.

The blonde sensed his growing arousal and leaned ever closer to him, knowingly caressing him with her hands and with the sweep of her breasts. The demon that he was forgot all about the pleasures of the flesh as the smell of her skin infused him, as warmth of her life pressed against him. As the beat of her heart registered strong and steady beside him.

He slipped his arm around the blonde's waist and bent his head to inhale her freshness. He imagined that her blood would be as clean and crisp.

Just as refreshing as he imagined Meghan Thomas might be if he were to sample her. He envisioned taking the independent chef, violating her while he drank his fill…

But he was saving her for something else. Something very special that would show all the human wannabes what being a vampire was all about.

As he imagined that bloodbath the demon erupted, long fangs bursting forth from his mouth to pierce the long line of the blonde's neck. His eyes became solid orbs of crimson, coloring everything in his world in hues of blood.

The blonde managed a short scream as he fed, but he drained her so quickly that he was already grabbing the other two women when her limp body fell away and they realized what was happening.

He continued his feasting on the tall African-American girl, savoring the strength that surged through his veins with her blood. As she, too, dropped away, slack from the blood loss, he finally turned his attention to the young Asian girl, who cowered before him, crying in fear. “Kiang-shi. Kiang-shi.”

Laughing, he hauled her up and with his greater strength, lifted her so that he could impale himself in her body while he fed, violating her not once but twice. As he did so, he called out to his kiang-shi bodyguards to come and share in the feast. To come and finish granting him his pleasure.

The first kiang-shi through the door immediately took the place of the African-American girl, driving deep and finally releasing Lee's climax into the girl he still held in his arms.

When he freed her, he motioned to the other two kiang-shi bodyguards, offering them his leftovers. What remained of the women's blood would keep their bodies from decomposing for the next few days. Since he had forbidden them from exchanging blood with any of their European cousins, they were not filled with the strength and powers of the vampire elders as he was.

As for the vampire who had rushed in to satisfy him, Lee urged him around so that they were facing. Leaning close, he whispered a kiss across the other man's lips before raising his wrist to reward him with a taste of his elder blood. Spiced as it was with the life of Foley's blood, it was more potent and would sustain his Kiang-shi guard for days longer than anything human.

The glow began in his bodyguard's eyes, a dull red like that of a lunar eclipse, but as his fangs elongated, the gleam intensified until only bright-red orbs remained.

The kiang-shi pierced the skin at Lee's wrist and drank thirstily. Each pull and suck of his mouth roused Lee's passion yet again. When the kiang-shi was nearly
done feeding, Lee pulled him off his wrist, whirled him around and plunged himself deep into the other man.

The startled cry of pain only intensified the bliss surging through Lee's veins. As the other man grappled with him to be set free, Lee sank his fangs deep into the thick muscle at the man's shoulder, punishing him for his desire to escape.

The shaken kiang-shi stilled and with a soft moan of acquiescence, accepted the violation.

When Lee was done sating himself, he tossed the kiang-shi away and to the floor, where the two others were finishing up their meals.

It was then, as the limp body of the blonde snared his gaze again, that he reminded himself of the unfinished business to be settled.

He had to find a way to foment discord amongst the cadre of vamps at Otro Mundo and their other human haunts. Once they were busy distrusting one another, he would take Meghan and unleash hell upon them.

If any of them managed to survive, he and his Kiang-shi would be there to finish them off.

B
lake had skipped the closing get-together at the restaurant that night in favor of scoping out the Blood Bank again. There was just too much about Lee that he didn't like, and he figured that the Asian vampire had to have something to do with all the problems going down lately at Otro Mundo. Not that Foley had mentioned anything about that during their talk. So far, all he could pin on Lee was his abuse of Foley and the too-lewd looks he had bestowed on Meghan on various occasions.

That made him a sodomizer and a lecher, but not necessarily a murderer.

Blake intended to find out if he was the latter.

As he had on a multitude of other nights, he hung around the bar drinking blood, only this time he was lis
tening for anything out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, it seemed like just another night at the Blood Bank. A few shoving matches out on the dance floor. A dozen or so couples heading into the back rooms for some naughty games.

Wickedly naughty, he thought, watching one particularly amorous couple groping each other while waiting for the vampire guard to finish with another twosome in the back rooms. A spark of passion flared to life as he imagined what he and Meghan might do later that night.

That is, he thought, if she wanted to go home with him again tonight. Maybe he was presuming too much to think that she would want to.

It had been damn good last night and not just sexually. When he lay in her arms the harsh reality of their world fell away, and he could imagine in those moments that they were regular people living everyday lives and not demons.

He understood better now how Diego and Ryder must feel. How the desire to be normal once again could overcome the demands of the vampire. How it could hold at bay that world of death and destruction that had been his existence for so long.

“She must be pretty special,” Foley said, as he plopped down in the stool next to Blake and crooked his finger. The bartender immediately arrived with a glass of blood for Foley, but he pushed it in Blake's direction and signaled the bartender to bring another.

“Feeling generous, mate? Rather rare for you, isn't it?” Blake picked up the glass and raised it in a toast once Foley had his own drink.

“Feeling decidedly relieved.” Foley took a sip. His gaze skipped to the back rooms for a moment before he leaned close and said, “Lee's found someone else to satisfy him tonight.”

“Lucky you,” he said, and surprisingly he meant it. He and Foley had never been the best of friends, but the past week had altered their relationship. Maybe because they were two of a kind in some ways.

“You'd do well to stay clear of him. You and your special little woman,” Foley said.

Blake smiled and drained the blood from the tumbler. “Rattled him, did we?”

“Major-league pissed him off.” Foley finished his drink and once again signaled the bartender for another.

“Must be a sight to see when he's angry,” Blake said offhandedly, hoping to find out more about the Kiang-shi's behavior.

“Scarier than your everyday vamp for sure,” Foley confirmed. “Teeth are needle-thin and long as can be. Hurts like a bitch when he gets you.”

Intrigued despite his concern for Foley, he said, “Any other creepiness I should beware of?”

“Red eyes like the flames of hell,” Foley replied, voice growing lower and more dismayed. He leaned conspiratorially close as he added, “And that damn black hair goes white. Pure white against those gleaming fired-up eyes.”

Foley shuddered, clearly put off by the idea, but Blake was anything but. “White, you say? And I suppose he hops hops hops like the Easter Bunny when he's in that form?”

With a shrug, Foley said, “Who knows? When he's got his fangs in me, all I can think about is the pain.”

Blake nodded. “I'll try to remember that, mate.”

 

They landed on the patio of his apartment noiselessly, stirring not even the new green leaves of the plants he had potted. As she stood there with him, her hand in his, that potently appealing sense of comfort and welcome washed over her.

It had been so long since she had experienced that feeling of homecoming. She took a moment to fully embrace it. At her hesitation, Blake playfully tugged on her hand.

“Having second thoughts?” The cocky grin and gleam in his eyes had left his handsome face. The all-too-serious features that had replaced it were stamped with doubt.

She suspected much of his life had been filled with doubt. From the uncertainty of his family's survival to his becoming a vampire, instability had been the only thing he could call his own. She realized now that it was the reason for the persona he had opted to present to the world. The brash, don't-give-a-shit personality that she had somehow seen past on that night so many years ago.

In its place now was a new man. The honorable man he had struggled to display to her time and time again, but she had refused to see because of her anger.

The weird thing was, he hadn't stirred her anger in some time. Not since the night in the alley when he had announced he was going to take a job at Otro Mundo. She hadn't believed him back then. Hadn't thought he could do as he promised, but he had.

He had shown her a man filled with determination. A man who could love with all his heart. A man who would respect her. By doing so, he had reined in the fury she had felt toward him.

Cradling the hard line of his jaw with one hand, she leaned forward and brushed a kiss across his lips. “Having penny kinds of thoughts,” she explained, wanting to remove his anxiety.

Beneath her lips she felt the shift of his smile as his lips curled beneath hers. He chuckled and drew her near. “Only a penny for your thoughts? They seemed to be much more valuable than that.”

She kissed him again before murmuring, “They were. There were naughty thoughts as well.”

Blake chuckled and sensed that she was holding back, but gave himself over to her kiss anyway. He sensed that whatever valuable thoughts she'd had might be too new and too special to share with him. Much as what he had been feeling about her was also possibly too untried to share. He wanted to hoard up all the feelings she brought to his heart until the time was right and he could give them to her without fear.

So for now, he just gave as much as she did, kissing her until she was breathless and clinging to him beneath the crescent of moon that bathed the patio in shades of silver and blue. When she murmured a protest, demanding more, he tugged on her lower lip in mock punishment and said, “Let's head in, love. I imagine the bed is a might more comfortable than staying out here.”

She laughed lightly and followed him into his apartment. As they entered, it occurred to him that for nearly
a dozen years he had been carefully piecing together this place. Everything in it, old as it was, he had chosen. Those things that had been battered or a bit bruised he had repaired as best he could.

Much like he had tried to repair his life, he realized.

Much like he was trying to mend the damage that he had done to Meghan.

He faced her. She was gazing at him intently as she asked, “I know those thoughts were downright serious. I can feel it here.” She laid a hand over her heart and within him, he felt that touch as if she were laying her hand on his heart.

It was that freaky vampire connection. The one that stretched between them, thanks to the shared blood pulsing through their veins. Forcing a bright smile to his face, he laid a hand on her waist and eased her close. “What I'm damn serious about, Meghan, is that I'm going to love you tonight as if there's no tomorrow.”

Because he wasn't sure that she wouldn't change her mind. That the past and all that had happened between them wouldn't rise up and stoke her anger again, he thought sadly as he brought his lips to hers and cherished them.

He slipped off her clothes, worshipping every inch of her that he exposed. Leaving the reminder of his hands and lips on her body so that she would never forget how he could make her feel.

So that no other man who had come before or would come after would be free of that memory.

As they fell to the bed and he eased within her, he shook from the force of the union, knowing that he, too,
would never be free of her. That she had imprisoned his heart forever.

She rose up then and encircled him in her arms, held him to her and whispered, “I want to believe in forever, Blake.”

The release slammed through them then. Physical. Mental. Emotional.

Still shaking from the force of it, he eased her to the center of the bed and wrapped his arms around her. He twined his legs with hers until they were so tightly bound together, it was as if they were one.

It was the way they were supposed to be, Blake thought, as he began loving her once more.

 

Blake heaved the trash bag up and over the landing and to the ground below. It was easier than navigating the narrow steps with the oversized bag. After he did so, however, he noticed motion at the end of the alley, close to the spot where he and Meghan had discovered the dead vampire weeks ago.

They said lightning never struck twice in the same place, but he knew better. High on a hilltop by his old home was a gnarled old oak that had been repeatedly stricken until one last blast had toppled it.

Walking down the steps, he held the bag in one hand, light as it was with his vamp strength. He slowly headed for the nearby Dumpsters and tossed in the bag, all the time peering down the alley for any sign of action once again.

He was rewarded for his patience with the sight of two persons standing at the mouth of the alley. They were handing over money and a quick exchange
followed, but all he saw of the one person was hands. Pale hands with long, effeminate nails.

Before he could act on it, the two must have detected his presence. In a blur of speed, they left.

Vamp speed, Blake decided. He put on his own burst of speed to reach the mouth of the alley, intending to give pursuit, but by the time he got there both vampires were long out of sight.

Two vampires and money exchanging hands was the kind of thing to cause him worry. He looked upward at the rooftops and considered where they might have gone. For a second he thought he detected a glimmer of red from one rooftop, but he blinked and it was gone.

But what wasn't gone was a cloying scent. Spicy and aromatic. He sniffed deeply, realizing it was the same aroma he had noted when they had found the dead vampire here weeks ago. He took another deep inhale, sure that the scent was the odor of whoever was involved in what was going on.

He was convinced that he had smelled that aroma around Foley recently.

Returning down the alley, he bounded back up the steps of the landing and into the restaurant, determined to share this bit of information with Meghan and the others when they met later.