Poisonous Pleasure (22 page)

“In your face,
Jace.
Try not to miss. You’re only two drinks behind me.”

“And not nearly as drunk.” He flicked his wrist and cursed, grabbing the shot. The tip of his finger pointed in her direction and she looked away laughing. She wouldn’t say anything…yet.

“Let’s just drink. I’m tired of this game. Ambrose is never going to even get to take his fourth shot at this rate.”

“Okay.” Marcella picked up the bottle and walked over to the bed to sit at Dominic’s feet. “Hey, what do you get when you mix a vampire with alcohol?”

“What?” They both asked.

“How am I supposed to know, I was asking you guys. It wasn’t a joke. Ambrose, you’re not going to go all stark raving mad are you?”

“No, I’m a lover when I’m drunk.”

“Great. So I’m the one who gets to go crazy when he makes his advances on you.
Jealousy
, what a buzz kill,” Jason whispered. “Give me that bottle, Marcella. You don’t need any more, anyway. You’re leaning again.”

“Don’t you dare tell me what to do, Jason Andrew Wilder. I’ll kick your ass right now for treating me like a lightweight. If I’m leaning it’s because of the mattress on this bed. It’s filled with feathers, you know.”

“No feathers. You’re leaning. Look how close your face is from the bed. I’m not even sure how you’re managing to stay up at all, tilting over that far.”

Marcy got quiet and stared at him while anger rushed through her. She had almost forgotten the way Jason became once he drank liquor. You could give him beer all day long and he was the sweetest guy on earth. Once liquor hit his blood, he acted like a complete ass.

“Enough. If I’m tilting then fine, let me tilt.”

“Give me the bottle, Marcella.”

What part of
she felt fine
did he not understand? It wasn’t as if she’d get alcohol poisoning. Why wouldn’t he just leave her alone? Placing the opening against her lips, she lifted the tequila and began to chug. Two swallows hadn’t broken past her throat before she became soaked.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing busting out the end of the bottle?” Marcella stood, furious. The rage she felt pushed against her insides until she wasn’t sure if the slight brush rushing through her were cobwebs, or if it could be the effects of her condition.

“I told you to stop drinking. You’ve consumed twice the amount any human girl could withstand.”

“You act as thought I’m going to die, Jason. I don’t see why we all can’t have a good time. You’re ruining it by acting this way.”

“I’m sorry for caring. Whatever. I’m out of here. You two have fun.”

Jason grabbed one of the bottles and vanished without so much as a backward glance. The spot where he stood sucked in her attention. What in the hell had just happened? Fuck, she hated when he pulled this shit. Confused and angry, tears came to Marcella’s eyes. She knew it was probably the alcohol bringing out her emotions, but she still couldn’t stop what the way she felt. These last few weeks had been beyond horrible.

“Are you all right?”

Slowly, Marcella raised her eyes to Ambrose. “Yes, I’m fine. Why don’t we try to get some sleep. I…”

Standing, Marcella quickly walked from the room and didn’t stop until she reached the front door. As her hand wrapped around the cold brass handle she stopped and closed her eyes fighting the tears. Minutes went by and she couldn’t move.

“Collector, why don’t you come over here with me and talk. I think it will do you good. You seem really upset. Maybe I can comfort you.”

Turning around, she walked to the couch were the gorgeous vampire sat, waiting. She couldn’t help but notice how her legs weren’t quite functioning well. Maybe Jason was right. Balance definitely seemed to be an issue.

“Ambrose, I really don’t feel like talking.”

“Then no talking. Come. Rest your head on my shoulder.”

Marcella didn’t hesitate. How would he ever learn to trust her if she refused something so simple? She fitted her head against the junction of his chest and arm, convincing herself that this was what she needed to do so their bond could grow. Even if they never became lovers, they could always be friends.

Unrecognizable pain exploded in her chest. Time slowed while her mind tried to process the origin of the sudden stinging. Tears ran down her cheeks, instantly blurring the vision of a pale face with dark hair leaning over her body. She could feel herself falling sideways, even taste the blood coating her mouth, but still she couldn’t understand.

“I’m so sorry. But I can’t let you have my soul. You do seem like a really good person, but I won’t risk the only thing I have for anyone or anything, not even love.”

Chapter 13

Tears ran from Ambrose’s eyes just before she saw him lift and jump over the couch. The end of a large kitchen knife stuck from her chest. Just at the sight of the black handle Marcella almost fainted, but she knew she couldn’t let him get away. She used all the energy she could collect to place the invisible force field around the outside walls of the mansion.

The sting of pain began to die out while darkness dotted her vision. Sounds of glass breaking and things being thrown around barely registered. For the life of her, she couldn’t get her body to work. Something about dying this time was different. When the poisoning from Ambrose’s bite took over and she’d died, it didn’t take this long. A part of her knew the knife pierced her heart. She should be dead, yet she wasn’t dying. At least her mind wasn’t. Her body seemed to be dead although her eyes were still opened and she could see.

I’m not breathing and yet, I’m still not dead.
Marcella tried to move her arm and realized how heavy she felt.
This is just like before. My body’s dead. Something he did killed my form.
She pulled harder on her arm until she felt it lift. Minutes flew by when she finally managed to sit. When she turned, she wasn’t surprised to see her body laying there.

“
Ambrose, you are so gonna get it when I get a new body. Samael! Where the hell are you? Some angel you are. You’re falling behind on your job. I need to know how to make my body hurry up and grow back.”

The vampire came running down the stairs looking around frantically. Slowly, he walked toward her dead body, lying on the white leather couch. Blood dripped down the cushion in a steady rhythm splashing against the black marble floor.

“Oh, God.” A heavy breath escaped his lips as he kneeled down before her. “Why aren’t you waking? You were just supposed to die long enough for me to escape. Why aren’t you waking?”

He leaned down with his head turned to the side, listening. Hands slammed into the couch next to her body. “You said you couldn’t die!”

“I’m not dead.”
She knew he couldn’t hear her, but she still felt compelled to answer, even if it was for her own benefit. Ambrose looked over his shoulder right at her, but quickly began looking around everywhere else. He searched the air with his eyes like a crazy person, madly jerking them in different directions. Marcella stared, fixated with trying to figure out what he was doing.

“What in the hell is going on in here?” A voice asked groggily.

Marcella jerked her attention to Dominic standing at the door. He stood wearing a pair of dark blue silk pajama bottoms, rubbing his eyes while blonde curls bounced around the sides of his face.

“Oh god, Dom. Go back in the room. Please, don’t look over here. Let me come back to life first!”

A big yawn came from his mouth and he opened his eyes. Ambrose slid to a stop at the front door and froze, staring at him. Nervously, her eyes darted back and forth watching them look at each other. Dominic took a step forward and stopped.

“What is the matter with you, Ambrose? Where’s Marcella?”

Jason appearing not feet from Dom only caused her heart to drop even more. Blood trickled out of his mouth and she could hear her scream echo off the walls of the large mansion, but no one heard it but her. Without Dominic being in his demon form, he’d never even know she was in the room.

“Jason? What in the hell happened to you?”

Marcella reached Jason before anyone did. His body swayed forward clamping onto Dominic’s shoulder just as Dom caught him.

“Jason, talk to me. What happened?”

“Where’s Marcella?” he groaned, clutching to his chest. “Fuck, I hurt.”

Dominic went rigid. “You mean this didn’t happen to you? No one physically did this? It…Marcella!” His head turned around hysterically searching the area. As if Dominic had put everything together, his body froze and he slowly turned to Ambrose. The vampire didn’t move.

“Where is she? And don’t you dare lie to me!”

“She said she couldn’t die. I just wanted to leave. I can’t…”

“Where is she?” Dominic’s voice boomed through the room making the energy around Marcella body waver. A red glow began to light his face as he walked forward, pulling Jason with him. “You have three seconds to tell me. Three fucking seconds, and then I start putting you through the worse pain you’ve ever experienced.”

Ambrose’s gaze looked toward the couch and turned back to her mate. “I only wanted to leave. I thought she’d be fine.”

Dominic turned to follow his guilty stare and stopped, nearly dropping Jason. “Oh…God. How long has she been like this?” Jason pulled away from him while they both rushed to the side of her body. Their hands began tracing her pulse points and listening for breathing “How long, dammit?”

“A few minutes. She sealed the house before…she died.”

The red glow began to flicker behind Dom’s stare. She could tell how close to transforming he was. Just a little more and she’d be able to speak to him. Why didn’t he think to turn to find her? Did he expect her to come back from the dead like before?

“Beautiful scene. If I do say so myself.”

“Samael! Where in the hell have you been? Turn me back before Dominic kills Ambrose.”

“Let him kill him. You can retrieve the soul and give it to me now.”

“Why don’t
you
just take it if you’re here?”

Samael turned to look at her. “Maybe, because I want to feel your lips pressed against mine, again. I really wish you’d give up this mate nonsense and just come back with me. Ipos is not right for you at all. Look at him. He’s way too attached and that’s never a good thing. You’ll feel smothered before the decade is out.”

“No. Now make the process go faster. I need to stop them.”

“Sorry, no can do. My powers only go so far and when you’re this bad off, you have to be reborn by yourself.”

Dominic slowly stood, pulling her attention. “But, what about this time is so different than getting poisoned? Why didn’t I die like this then?”

“Because before, his feelings hadn’t evolved to the extent they are now. They’ve grown and he’s just committed a sin against you. A collector is designed to basically win her followers. If he thinks he just killed someone he cares about, the feelings will grow. Do you see what I mean?”

“It’s a lie, a trap to make him fall in love with me?”

“You can say it’s the way of the collector. You may be good, Marcella, but your good ways won’t last. You’re designed to seduce the souls from people. Eventually, you’ll be nothing more than the succubus that you can’t stand. Just, instead of taking energy, you’ll thrive to take souls. Give it time.”

Samael disappeared, leaving her open mouthed. She’d never be like that, ever. Dominic walked through the couch and she knew she had him. “Dominic!”

He froze, jerking his gaze to her. The red that filled his entire vision, left, but he stayed in demon mindset. “Don’t say you can’t see me or even hear me. You are not allowed to hurt him. We need him, remember? Now, walk back to my body and just listen to me, please.”

Fire flickered in his gaze, but he obeyed. “Good, now please take Jason in the other room and see if he’s all right. I’m worried what this might have done to him.”

“Jason, come with me to the other room before I do something I might regret.”

“I’m not leaving her. Where is she? What is taking her so long?”

“Jason, I’m not telling you again. Come with me to the room. I’m about two seconds away from killing this vampire and if Marcella comes back I sure as hell don’t want to piss her off. She’s going to be angry as it is. At least, she better be.” His gaze shot to her just as he pulled Jason up.

They left Ambrose standing in the middle of the living room alone with her dead body. She watched curiously while he waited a few seconds and then rushed to her side. Pale fingers brushed the strands of hair back from her face.

“Please, come back. I swear I would have never harmed you if I thought for one second you would die. What have I done?”

His fingers grabbed the handle of the knife and pulled. More blood poured from her chest and a ragged breath escaped his mouth. Marcella walked closer while he closed his eyes and placed his hand over the wound.

“Heal,” he whispered. “Make her heart beat again. Don’t let me have killed the one chance I’ve been given. I taste it in her blood, see it in my thoughts. What she offers is true and without conditions or greed. She can’t be gone. There was something, some connection. I felt it.”

Nothing happened to her body while she watched him repeatedly try different things. She knew it would take time. Her collector proved to be a person of its own, but in the meantime she needed to check on Jason. That was, if she could leave the living area. She couldn’t when she died the first time in the guest bedroom.

Walking to the door to Dominic’s bedroom she placed her hand against the wood and tried to step through. She couldn’t.

“Dominic, open the door!” The door cracked and he stood staring at her. “Only shake your head yes or no. Is Jason okay?”

His head shook yes and she sighed in relief. Dom stuck his head out and looked toward Ambrose, his vision instantly going red again. The look on his face sent chills down the body she didn’t have.

“He didn’t think he’d hurt me. I know how that sounds, but really. He just wanted to buy some time to try to escape.” Dominic’s mouth opened, but he shut it when she raised her hand for him not to speak. “Look at him. Does he really look like someone who meant to actually kill me? He’s been trying to heal my wound for the last few minutes. The regret is evident, all right?”