Stephen (13 page)

“
I doubt you hate it as much as you say. You come pretty hard for a man who hates me sucking him off and fucking his pretty ass, too.” Edward wanted to deny it, but Ted cut him off. “If I were to come to you right now and take your cock in my mouth, you’d squirt down my throat faster than I could swallow, and we both know it.”

To no doubt prove his point, he stood up and sat down in front of Edward. Before he could get away, if that was even what he wanted, Ted was sucking his cock hard enough to have him cry out. Edward curled his fingers in Ted’s hair while Velvet moved to put her pussy over his mouth. He ate her as his cock was being fisted, deep in another man’s throat. When she came, screaming out his name, Edward emptied his cock in Ted’s mouth.

“
My turn.” Ted leaned back, and he held his cock while Velvet moved over him. It was the most erotic thing he’d ever witnessed, and when she told him to come to her, he stood in front of her. She took him in her mouth even as she rolled her hips over Ted’s cock. When a finger filled his ass, Edward fucked her mouth hard. Christ, nothing had ever felt this good. When Ted cupped his balls from beneath, Edward held Velvet to his cock while he came again. The three of them came at nearly the same time, and Edward wanted to cry.

Staggering back, he fell into the chair that Ted had been in. Velvet lay over Ted, and the man ran his finger up and down her back while he stared at him. He wanted to tell him to go to hell, but the smile he was giving Edward sort of frightened him.

“
She wants to change you.” Edward started to ask him into what, but he suddenly knew. “I’m having her wait for a while. You will be more useful to us if you can be out during the day. Are you going to prove me wrong?”

“
I don’t want to be a vampire.” He felt his skin crawl. He knew he was fucking two of them and had them biting him like he was some sort of all-day sucker for them, but he didn’t want to live as one. Not ever. “I’ll do whatever you want during the day, but I don’t want to be a vampire.”

“
We’ll see.” He stood up then after rolling Velvet to the floor. Leaning down, he picked her up as if she weighed nothing at all and looked at him. “Your house will be gone by now. And I’d stay away from the windows if I were you too. You’ve had enough of our blood in you that you’re likely to burn a good deal. And without us here to give you more, you’ll hurt until we wake.”

After he left him, the same butler from before came in with a tray of food. There was also an envelope on the tray. Edward didn’t even bother asking but waited until he was gone before he opened it. He was shoveling his breakfast down as fast as he could put it on his fork while he read it.

I want you to have a meeting with Stephen tonight. I need to kill him before he realizes that you and I are lovers.
He shivered at the thought but continued reading.
If you leave this house without my permission, I will kill you. And when I do, it will be long and painful for you. Do as I said.

He felt his breakfast curl in his belly as he moved away from it. There wasn’t much of it left, but he was sure he’d not be able to eat any more now. Going to the window, he looked out over the yards and saw that the entire estate was now surrounded by a high fence. Even if he wanted to, Edward was sure that he wouldn’t be able to get out so easily again. Moving out of the room, he went in search of the kitchen again and found the butler there.

“
I need a phone and a computer if you have one.” He nodded and stood up. Edward sat down when the woman that had been there too sat a glass in front of him. He toyed with it while he waited for the butler to return. The computer was set on the table, as was a cell phone. Looking at the man who sat again, he wondered how much he knew about why he was there.

“
I have taken the liberty of having all your calls transferred to this number. The lady of the house would not like for you to miss important things, and she would be furious with us if someone came here to find you. Do not tell them where we are.” Edward nodded and stared at the phone as the man continued. “You would do well to do as she said, sir. If not, there will be hell to pay.”

“
Does she do this often?” The man looked at the woman, who nodded and left them alone. He nearly told the man to forget it, he didn’t want to know, when he spoke.

“
She has only just risen again, my lord. We have been…until a month ago, we were far away, hiding. The lady said we were hers and there was little we could do. We had been her servants before she was…sentenced.”

“
Sentenced?” He nodded, and Edward didn’t ask. There were some things he knew he just shouldn’t know. “I don’t want to be here. What we do…they’re making me do, is not something I want.”

“
You will serve their purpose or you will die.” Edward knew in his heart that he was right and nodded. “Many have come before you, but none have stayed in her graces as you have. You must please her greatly.”

Edward stood up. He hadn’t wanted this but knew that it was too late now for anything to be done about it. He wondered if they’d changed him anyway, and if there was a damned thing he could do to stop this madness. He was nearly to the office again when the phone in his hand rang. He nearly didn’t answer it but in the end did.

“
I found her.” It took him several seconds to realize that this was Hump-boy. “Your daughter. I found her. And you’re not going to believe where. With none other than your biggest client, Stephen Silva.”

“
She’s with Silva? Since when? And what the hell would he be doing with a dog like her?” He heard Hump laugh. “You find this humorous? Need I remind you that I still haven’t paid you, and won’t until she’s back with me in my home?”

“
Yeah, about that. Your house went up in a blaze of fire late last night. They’re saying it was set, but nobody is saying by who. And there is so little of it left that they’re having a grand old time trying to figure out what was used to blow it, much less by who.” Edward sat down, just now remembering what Ted had told him before leaving. “But as I was watching the fire stations sort through things, Silva drives up, and with him is this drop-dead gorgeous woman. It took me nearly an hour to get her name. It’s Clarice Kelley. And she doesn’t look any more thrilled to be with him than she apparently did with you.”

“
Gorgeous? Her? Hardly. She was a grown woman when she left, and it’s doubtful that she’s made that much of a change. I’m assuming you’ve mistaken her for someone else. Silva would never have someone like that, for that matter, especially a fat tub like her hanging around him.” Edward decided to get rid of Hump and find someone more reliable. But then his phone beeped at him, and he looked at it. A message had come through. Opening it up, he looked at the picture that had come from Hump. It was her.

She was considerably thinner…he’d say a whole person thinner, and she looked as if she’d not only slimmed down but had become toned. The picture cut off her legs, but Edward knew that they’d be long and slim too. Her hair was still long, but it flattered her face rather than looking like it hung in front of it. Edward realized that Hump was talking to him and put the phone to his ear again.

“
It’s her, right? I knew it. Damn, but she’s really done herself up right. And poor Silva looks like he’d do just about anything for her, but she barely lets him touch her. I think the only reason she was even with him is because she seemed to have gotten out of his bed or something. She had on his shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. Didn’t hide the fact that she was beautiful, but made her look sexier somehow.”

Edward wanted to scream at Hump to shut up, but didn’t want him to know how much his words were affecting him. Edward did not want to know that the product was doing better than he was, and was a good deal richer to boot. He told Hump he’d talk to him later and hung up. Maybe he’d just call Silva up and have him give him Kelley for the knowledge that a crazy woman was gunning for him. He knew that he’d have liked that information a few weeks ago.

He picked up the phone twice to do just that. But Edward was worried that it wouldn’t work, or if it did and Silva was killed, Velvet would know he’d done it. Right now he was more afraid of her than the big man and losing his money. Finally he called Silva to test the waters, so to speak, and was surprisingly put right through to him.

“
Stephen, how the hell are you? I’ve been thinking of that last job we did for you and wondered if you were still having good luck with it.” Edward had no idea what they’d worked on for him and was pretty sure that the man knew it too. But when he didn’t say anything, Edward began to worry. “Stephen, are you there?”

“
I am. How did Velvet find you?” He felt the hair on the back of his neck dance and his balls tighten to his body in a defense mode. “I’m assuming that’s why you’re calling me, to see if we can make some sort of deal on turning her over to me. Or is it because of Clarice? Are you still looking for her for some perverted reason?”

“
I don’t know what you’re ref—” Silva’s laughter cut him off. All he could think about was he was as good as dead, and there wasn’t shit he could do about it. “She came to me. And she knew all about you and I having dealings. I didn’t know what she was until recently. She made me do things that were not something I would ever do.”

“
But you no doubt enjoyed them. Is Ted with her still? I had heard that he’d been changed as well. I’m supposing you know that I’m a vampire as well.” Edward felt his body turn to ice. He’d been told he’d been dealing with a vampire all this time and not had a clue, but to have the man say it was something else entirely. More real, he supposed. “You should also understand that not only am I a good deal older than her, I’m also not one you want to fuck with. I could eat you for breakfast and not think a thing about it. I just might before this is over.
If
you survive Velvet December.”

“
Are you going to kill me?” His laughter again made Edward reach down and curl his hand over his cock. Not because he was hard but because he was worried he’d wet himself. “I don’t want to die.”

“
I’m reasonably sure it’s too late for that. You’ve been with two of the deadliest vampires in the world right now. The fact that you’re still living is somewhat of a miracle. Are they still as sick in bed as they’ve always been? Have you told her about Clarice yet?”

He told him no. “But she knows everything. It’s like she can read my mind.” Edward was trying to think of a way to escape, but all he could think about was that Stephen was truly a vampire too. “She’s very violent when she’s pissed off.”

“
Not nearly so much as I am. And you’re right, she’ll figure out you know about my mate. I guess you’ll have to deal with her when she does. Unless, of course, you expect me to help you. If you do, you’re stupider than I ever thought you were.” Edward didn’t want to deal with anyone, especially not a pissed off vampire. “You might want to find a gun.”

“
I doubt she’d let me shoot her.” Silva laughed, and this time it pissed Edward off more than scared him. “This is not the least bit funny. You people should tell someone when you’re not human so we can avoid you.”

“
Maybe we don’t think it’s any of your business.” He heard someone talking in the background and wondered who he was. Stephen spoke again before Edward could make it out. “By the way, shit for brains, the gun isn’t for you to shoot her with, you moron, but to shoot yourself. It might be a good deal quicker than what I have planned for you. Or Velvet for that matter. I’m thinking you might want me over her in the long run.”

The line went dead, and Edward laid the phone down. He was more terrified now than he’d ever been. Searching though the drawers, he didn’t find as much as a paperclip to end his life, or at least end it quicker. He was still sitting there when the butler brought him his lunch. And Edward’s only thought that kept curling around and around in his brain was that he wanted Stephen to kill him over the bitch that slept below.

“
What am I going to do?” The butler didn’t answer, but then he’d not really expected him to. “I have to save my ass here. If I could get out to…fuck I don’t know, bring Silva here, then she’d be okay, right?”

Nothing. But the idea was starting to take shape. Not with Silva. The man scared the shit out of him even before he’d found out what he was. No, he was thinking more along the lines of getting Kelley, the bitch. If he could get her, bring her here, then that would bring Silva to Velvet. It would work. But first he had to get out. He finished what he could of his lunch and planned.

The doors out of the house were all locked up. When he moved to the doors that led out onto the back deck, he wasn’t really surprised to find them locked as well. But the windows were just plain glass, and he seriously thought about breaking them. Just as he was picking up a chair to bash it through the thing, the butler came back in.