sanguineangels (23 page)

“Forgive me, but I must step out for a few minutes,” Diego said a moment later, much more relaxed where they held onto one another. Titania was never more relieved than to hear them bantering like that.

“I wondered how you were going to do this. I can feel your hunger.”

“I believe Houston capable enough to protect you. He has had many years of practice trying to keep you under some semblance of control.”

“Control? We need to work on your vocabulary.”

“Is
I love you
a better choice of words?”

She melted on the spot at the caressing sound, knowing he was only teasing. “
Go. Be quick, and please come back in one piece. I will personally see you staked if you leave me alone like this now.”

“Such harsh language, cara.”
His voice whispered through her mind, a gentle laugh, a possessive edge.
“
I can only do as you ask.”

Diego lifted one of her hands to his lips as Houston spoke. “No, go ahead. We bought groceries on the way, and I’m starving. I doubted you would be prepared.”

“Unfortunately, you are correct,” Diego replied, his thumb caressing her hip with strokes that were turning her insides to liquid heat. “Make use of anything you need. I will not be long.”

She walked out to the porch with him, tucked under his arm. Once beyond the door, he brought her into a wild embrace of heat and hunger that had nothing to do with feeding. She blinked, dazed when he finally released her lips.

“Stay inside. I will take care of your needs when I return.” He brushed a quick kiss across her temple. “And try to limit how many hugs you share with Houston. That was very difficult to watch.”

“Jealous?”

“Incredibly. I am discovering I really cannot share, when I had feared Houston would have a greater problem with this. What a predicament you have put me in. You have friends and parents. Though I believe I can work around that.”

She thumped him on the chest. “You better learn how to.”

“Yes,
cara
,” he replied, his eyes sparkling with his ribbing. She realized he had said that just to get a rise out of her. The words
“
I love you”
floated on the breeze, and he was gone.

“Okay. He’s gone. Are you really all right?” Laney’s gaze searched hers, worried. “Just because he doesn’t feel bad,” she said, shaking her head, concern clear in her motions.

Titania claimed a stool next to them. “No. I’m fine.” She raked a hand through her hair, pulling the knot loose. “Yesterday was rough. I’m doing better today. I just don’t know how long I can do this.” She lowered her gaze. “I don’t know if I can be a vampire.”

“You seem to be doing okay,” Laney offered tentatively.

Houston gave her a sympathetic look over a shoulder from where he stood preparing steaks on the black, flattop stove. “Tani, you scared the shit out of all of us. And even if you have doubts, you are alive. I saw you when he took you from that house.” Houston let his hands fall to his sides. “You were going to die. I know that without a doubt.”

He twisted to work over the stove, his voice subdued. “Believe me, when I pictured you meeting someone, I wasn’t expecting this. But I have to believe he would do anything for you because he has. So he’s a vampire. Like Laney said, we’ll just make the whole family weird.”

Titania scrubbed the heels of her hands into her eyes. “But is it worth it? I can’t sing anymore. Tenorio is hunting me, Brakka would like to skewer me. God, how do I find so much trouble?” she moaned.

“You have a natural talent for it,” Houston offered glibly, smiling.

She looked around her feet. “Where’s that damn ball of paper at?”

Laney put a light hand on Titania’s arm, bringing her up again from searching for the paper missile. “But is it bad enough to end everything? He loves you. I know if you go, he’ll go with you. I can feel his conviction to be with you regardless of where you are. That is a pretty strong emotion if you ask me.”

Titania crossed her arms and thunked her head onto them, slumped over the bar. “That’s just it. I’m a coward. I never would have considered suicide before this, but that’s what it would be.”

“Give it a chance,” Laney told her sagely. “Looking at you, no one would know.”

“Cara, do not forget to call your parents.”

“Thank you.”

She slid from her seat. “Look, you guys eat. I have to call Mom and try to explain the cancellation.”

They both nodded, and Titania went down the hall to a room that could have been called a den. She paused in the doorway, surprised to see an up–to-date computer along with a huge sound system in the corner. On opposing walls were two tall bookcases filled to the ceiling with books.

She spotted the phone on the desk. Her fingers shook as she dialed and waited pensively. Sitting down in his chair, she sank into plush leather. The man wasn’t kidding. He was spoiled. She sighed in relief when the phone was answered after several heart-stopping seconds. Secretly, she realized she was frightened no one would be there at all.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Titania!” She had to yank the phone from her ear. It was a high, squealed shriek who could have only been her mother. “Frank, get in here! It’s Tani! Honey, where are you? What happened? What happened to the tour? We’ve been so worried.” Her mother began to choke up.

“I know. I’m sorry. I haven’t been well enough to call.” Her mother shrieked again.
Oops, wrong thing to say.
“Breathe, Mom, and I’ll tell you what I can.” Her mother had always been prone to drama.

She gave her a bland description of her abduction, leaving out the problems she had with the shot overdose. “Diego is a bodyguard I hired a few weeks ago, and he found me. I’ve been recuperating outside of the media’s reach at his house.” Somewhere during her explanation, she had heard her father pick up the second phone.

“Why didn’t he take you to a doctor?” was her father’s immediate demand.

“Because he didn’t want to let the abduction get into the news,” she said slowly, hating to lie.

“Are you all right with him, alone?” her mother asked.

“I’m fine. In fact, Laney and Houston arrived this evening. I think they’ll be staying for a while.”

“Thank heavens,” her mother said. “Is he the one Houston hinted at?”

“Yes, Mother.” She palmed her forehead, leaning on an elbow. Tears burned at her eyes. She managed a few more minutes of questions and answers before they let her off the phone. She burst into tears, the phone missing its cradle when it slid from her fingers.

“
Cara
.” Strong arms lifted her, pulled her into his embrace. “What is wrong?”

“I realized I can’t tell them! I’m going to see them die,” she wailed.

Diego stroked her back. “Honey, children succeed their parents naturally. You have not lost them.” He tucked her into chest, his arms wrapping around her, comforting. “It may be best if you do not tell them everything. They may not, most likely, understand.”

She caressed her cheek against the skin-warmed silk of his shirt. “I know. I’m just feeling overwhelmed.”

“You did remarkably well with Houston and Laney. I am very proud of you.” He rubbed his chin into her hair. “Time,
cara
. That is all you need.”

“I guess I need to accept this, then. There really is no going back.” Melancholy colored her voice.

“No,
cara
. I know you have lost many things. I hope to show you just how much you have gained. In truth, you are a miracle to me to have survived. When I brought you home, all I had was hope you would live through the conversion. I have never cursed another soul with this life, and I did not know if being a woman would be an issue.”

She sighed, closing her eyes, just letting him hold her. The steady beat of his heart beneath her ear resounded through her.
Fresh blood.
It coursed beneath his skin, and she could feel it, feel the heat. This time when the hunger hit, she didn’t fight it. She studied it, examined the way her body reacted, the way her body craved.

She found the scent of his skin when she took a deep breath. She moved restlessly against him, hunger for what he could give and more beating more insistently against her senses. He tilted her to his mouth, sipping gently. Her arms lifted, caressed broad shoulders, threaded through the thick, loose curls of his hair.

A low, vibrating growl grew in his chest when she nipped at heated skin. A hand weaved loosely into her hair, encouraging her. She realized how sensual the act of sharing was, how aroused she was, as was he.

Titania wanted this. She knew it, admitted it. When her incisors lengthened, she didn’t startle at the knowledge. She could smell the beckoning scent of blood and unbuttoned his shirt with decisive fingers. His chest quivered under seeking sweeps of fingertips.

She licked a warm, damp path across his chest, and his hand fisted into her hair. “
Cara
.” This growl was deeper, hungrier, needing. Teeth scraped across the artery over his heart and he stiffened, a slow hiss escaping through a tight jaw.

Lightning arced when she pierced through, the first rush of life a euphoric, heady, spiced fire that raced through her veins. Flames burned beneath skin. She felt the changes as she took in what he offered, could feel her body grow warm, feel strong again.

He shuddered when she dragged her tongue over the small wounds.

“I think I’m getting the hang of this,” she said, looking up at him, a slow, sexy smile on her mouth. Diego swooped down and claimed her lips, swiping his tongue hungrily between them.

His pale eyes glittered with a sensual heat when he said, “If that is a sign of your acceptance, I am in a world of trouble.” Her laugh was throaty, carefree, and she began to think maybe she could do this.

Laney smiled when they came into the kitchen arm in arm. “That sounded good.”

“I think I’ve decided to deal with it and move on,” Titania replied. She could work through her doubts one at a time.

Laney’s expression was relieved. She reached for Titania’s hand and squeezed once. “Thank God. So now what?”

“I don’t know, honestly. With the tour ended, I just don’t know.”

“You are welcome to stay here,” Diego invited Houston and Laney. “There are two upper bedrooms, both furnished. You have your choice. A word of warning, though. Once the chamber is locked, it is deadly to enter during the day. I have several safeguards that I use.”

“Warning noted,” Houston said with a nod. “It might be a good idea to hide out for a while, see where Tenorio is going to take this, and how far. He lost millions in that fire.” He clasped his hands on the bar top, empty plates pushed to the side. “His research, fifty-seven men, and two scientists, both biogenetic engineers. They don’t grow on trees. From the reports, there really wasn’t much left even for the arson investigators to sift through.”

“What about the lab? Surely someone questioned a hidden lab?” She still felt the chill of the memory, thinking about waking up in that God-awful place.

“It was destroyed in the fire. So was all his paperwork, his computer bank. Everything.”

Diego grew thoughtful. “I wonder where his base of operations is. If he had a lab at his home, a highly secured home, he must have another location, someplace where he can do more extensive research. Even as large as it was, it could not house the amount of men he is planning on working with. He has been experimenting with reproducing the genetic codes of people like Titania, then splicing the DNA into clone-based strands.” At Laney’s dropped mouth, he added in a succinct voice, “Sometimes it pays to know what others are thinking.”

“But how could what I do be used like that?” Titania wondered.

“You are a natural telekinetic. The emotional broadcast could be used to instill fear, uncertainty, defeat. Without the telekinesis, that alone could undermine a large force. You sing to forty thousand without a thought. Imagine creating a wave of fear to a force that size. A small country could be overtaken in a day.”

“Or a large one,” Houston murmured. “I can see how it could be done.”

“Thank you. If I never said it, thank you.”
And she meant it deeply.

“You are quite welcome, cara,”
he replied with an easy caress in her mind. He slipped his arm upward, his palm curving around her nape, his thumb stroking lazily at her pulse.

“Would you like to take a walk,
cara
? The moon is almost full.” He bent lower, his warm lips tantalizing the skin near her ear.

Titania looked at Houston, then Laney. It was Laney who spoke up. “We’ll be fine. We’ll catch a movie, then go to bed.”

“You’re sure? You just got here.” Titania didn’t want to ignore them, but Laney was determined.

Laney waved them off, gathering the dishes they had used for their dinner. “And we’ll be here tomorrow. He’s right,” she said, peering through the window. “The moon is almost full. It’s gorgeous. Go have a date or something.” She shot Titania a wink, then started running the water.

She shrugged and followed Diego outside. “If I didn’t know any better, I would swear she really wanted us out of there,” she said once they were out of earshot.

“I would have to agree, but whether it was for our privacy or theirs, I could not say.” Diego’s eyes were sparkling in the moonlight. She still thought he had the most unbelievable eyes.

Titania questioned the man who had captured her heart. “Diego, what if you weren’t the only one like you?”

“How do you mean?” He twined strong fingers through hers, guiding her along a narrow animal track leading from the house.

“If we could find others like you, would you want to? I think the way you have lived has a lot to do with it.”