Trueblood 01-The-Consolation-Prize (21 page)

Dan nodded towards Jason. “I know what you told me, but I needed another night. Now I think you’ll be glad I waited.”

Dan tugged Jason to Luka’s side and gave him an encouraging smile.

Jason took a deep breath. “I think Selena’s dead. I knew you were looking for Chloe so I went to Washburn Hall this morning to see if she was there. My sister should have had a ward on her door, but when I pulled the handle, it opened. The room was…full of light. There was…a chair in front of the window and a red negligee lying in a pile of grey ash.”

Luka looked at his pale face. “No chains?”

“No.”

Set up to look like she was dead, Luka wondered. Or perhaps Constantine had been tidying.

“I checked the computer. The last thing she’d looked at was Chloe’s booking details. It gave her address.”

Luka flinched. So Nevchek had been there last night.

“Thanks to all of you for volunteering to help, but I think there’s little you can do. Only Dan knows what Chloe looks like and if she’s not at her apartment, I have no idea where to look.”

They dispersed, some patting him on the back, and as Luka turned his attention to Jason, Dan moved between them.

“He’s sorry, Luka. It wasn’t like he did this deliberately. He didn’t know. He didn’t understand the implications of what he revealed.”

Luka nodded and relief swept over Dan’s face. He didn’t want to lose his lover and Luka knew exactly how he felt.

* * * * *

When Chloe heard the buzz of the intercom, the rhythm of her heart faltered. It was dark now and she wanted to it to be Luka that stood downstairs. However after their last meeting, it was far more likely to be Constantine, hoping to get at Luka through her and Chloe wasn’t going to let that happen. She glanced around. Everything was in place. If her weapon didn’t work, at least she’d done the best she could. She only needed a chance to use it.

She pressed the intercom button. “Hello.”

“Good evening, Chloe. Can I come in?”

Chloe knew she shouldn’t make this look easy. “Why? Want to take me out for a drink or did you think you’d stay in for one?”

He laughed. “How’s your arm?”

“Fine.”
Hurts like hell
.

“I could make it better.”

“Really?” As if she’d trust him.

“Yes.”

“Then please come in.”

Chloe pressed the button to release the main entrance door and then unlocked her own. She set it ajar and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Didn’t work. Adrenaline raced around her body, her heart pounding in her head. Chloe retreated to the living room and wrapped her hand around an opaque bottle of water spray she used on her plants. She pretended to be working on a variegated box tree which stood on a unit near the TV.

Constantine stepped into the room and Chloe could have sworn the light dimmed.

“I was disappointed to see you’d left Sunset Spa,” he said.

“You know, correct me if I’m wrong, but I just didn’t feel very welcome.” Chloe kept her eyes on him and her finger on the trigger.

“Are you expecting Luka?”

“No. He thinks I’m in league with the devil.”

“The devil? Oh, you mean me.” He laughed and moved around the edge of the room. “What’s with all the shoes?”

They lay all over the floor. “I was having a clear out,” Chloe lied.

One of the shoes wasn’t a pair, its mate having been murdered by a taxi. It was the only one that might be of use to Chloe, lying innocuously among the rest. It had a wooden stiletto heel.

“Would you like to live forever, Chloe? I could make you mine. I don’t think I’ve ever met a mortal I’ve liked better. Funny, feisty, flirty.”

Flirty? When the fuck had she been flirty?

“We could do such a lot together. Be mine, Chloe. Take the gift I offer. Immortality. A place at my side. You’re partway there already.”

Chloe hoped her deep disgust didn’t show on her face. “What do you mean I’m partway there?”

“You can’t drink, can’t eat. You feel almost too tired to lift one foot in front of the other. Am I right?”

“I’ve had a trying ordeal. I need a few days’ rest.” Only she knew that wasn’t true.

Constantine tipped his head to the side. If he moved fast, it would be too late for Chloe to do anything. He was tall and strong. She couldn’t let her guard down for one moment. Her finger rested on the trigger.

“Luka has fed you and so have I. You’re linked to us both. Your blood has been changed -- will continue to change and now Luka has abandoned you, if you don’t let me convert you, you’ll die.”

“Maybe I’d rather be dead,” Chloe whispered. Hearing the truth from him confirmed what she’d thought, but if she was going to die, she was taking him with her.

Constantine took a step towards her and though she hadn’t meant to do it, her hand came up, holding the spray bottle between them.

The bastard laughed.

“Let me guess. Holy water? It will irritate but do little more. Come, Chloe, put it down and let me hold you. I can make all your pain go away.”

“No.” Her hand shook from the effort of keeping the bottle raised. He was too far away, but she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to step towards him, not even sure she was brave enough to spray him. What if she ended up pissing him off? He’d rip out her throat. Chloe gulped and hoped that wasn’t the last time she managed that action.

“Selena is dead.”

Chloe gulped again. Ah, she’d managed another gulp after all.

“She had her moment in the sun this morning. She’s finally paid for what she did to your family.”

Not for an instant did Chloe think that was why he’d killed her. “What did you do?”

She didn’t really want to know but it was putting off the moment when she had to take action and she still wanted him to come to her. Her feet were being pathetic.

“Broke her neck and left her in front of a window.”

He took another step.
Run away
, screamed her brain.

“One more and you’re dead,” she said.

Constantine grinned. “Oh, this is going to be such fun.” He licked his lips. His tongue mesmerized her, a lizard’s flick, in and out. She shook her head. He really
was
trying to mesmerize her.

Another step by him and Chloe moved back.
Damn, woman, stand your ground
. He laughed and moved again. There could be no hesitation because she’d not get another chance. Chloe jumped forward, squeezed the trigger as hard as she could and silver nitrate shot into his eyes.

Constantine screamed, his face contorted with rage and pain. He swept his sleeve across his face and before Chloe could aim at his mouth, he was on her. He knocked the bottle from her hand as she fell to the floor beneath him. His face was speckled with brown marks that grew larger as the chemical ate into his skin.

“You fucking bitch.”

Chloe resisted with everything she had, trying to push him off, but he was too strong. She’d assumed if she fired the stuff into his eyes, then she’d blind him. Maybe she’d miscalculated.

She searched for the container with one hand, while the other pounded his back. Constantine wrenched her head to one side, sank his teeth into her neck, and sucked.

The strength of the suction sent her blood pressure into a massive slump. Her vision blurred and her head began to spin. She had only moments before she blacked out. The spray couldn’t be far away. Chloe swung her arm around over the carpet. If she could just… She lurched as he shifted her in his arms, moving her into a different position. She felt every painful pull of blood through her veins. Each mouthful left him stronger and her weaker.

Her red shoe lay within tantalizing reach though Chloe wasn’t sure she had the strength to drive the wooden stiletto through his heart. Probably wouldn’t get through his shirt. Probably couldn’t pick the damn thing up. The bottle had to be nearer.

Constantine ripped open her blouse and squeezed her breast. When Chloe felt the long, hard length of his cock rubbing her belly she had another idea. She fondled him through his pants and her fingers reached for his zipper.
This had to work
. Chloe pulled out his rigid cock and pumped slowly.
Please
, she begged. He moved to give her more room. Typical man with a one-track mind, and Chloe thanked God for them because he’d freed her other hand, allowing her to reach the bottle.

Luka stared in disbelief at the scene in front of him. A half-naked Chloe in the arms of a vampire he guessed to be Constantine. As he fed from her, she caressed his dick, a taunting drop of precum clinging to the tip. Luka’s arm felt as though it was going to explode. Chloe was his. No one else could touch her. Luka wrenched the vampire away.

“Noooo,” Chloe screamed and the word hit him like a dagger. She wanted this?

The moment’s hesitation gave her time to leap on Constantine’s chest and Luka’s rage rose like a red mist. He reached for her, then saw the bottle in her hand, the nozzle pointed towards Constantine’s open mouth. A stream of liquid shot out and Constantine screamed, an ear-splitting screech of agony that stopped Luka in his tracks.

Don’t make the same mistake again
, Luka told himself.
This is not what it seems
.

Chloe jerked back as Constantine struggled to his feet. She aimed for his mouth and when his hands covered it, she fired at his cock hanging out of his pants. Brown patches appeared wherever the liquid hit.
What the hell is that
? Luka wondered.
Holy water
? Constantine dropped to the floor and began to writhe, his back arching far enough to break his spine. As Chloe backed away, Luka stepped forward.

“Luka, don’t get near it,” she yelled, her voice spiraling in panic.

“Chloe, holy water stings but --”

“It’s not holy water. It’s silver nitrate.”

Fuck
. He looked down at Constantine, who foamed at the mouth and rolled around in excruciating torment. Luka shuddered.

Chloe continued to back away until she hit the wall. She was bleeding from the neck.

Constantine was convulsing now at his feet. Luka sucked in his cheeks when he saw his eyes, crimson orbs with milky centers. Chloe had blinded him.

“’unt.” Constantine forced out through burnt lips. “’ucking ’itch.”

“But she’s my fucking bitch,” Luka said.

“I don’t belong to anyone,” Chloe yelled.

She stood clutching a red high-heeled shoe, shaking so hard Luka was amazed she stayed upright.

“Why isn’t he dead? I’ve used it all up,” she gasped.

“Where did you get silver nitrate?” Luka asked.

“It’s part of my photography equipment.”

“Good idea,” he said. “Are you impressed, Nevchek?”

She took a step towards Constantine and Luka pulled her back. “What are you doing?”

“I need to stab him through the heart with the shoe. That will kill him. Oh God.”

She wobbled and Luka caught hold of her. Before she had time to register what he was doing, he licked her neck and sealed the wounds. Even the small taste of her blood made his cock twitch.

“He killed Selena,” Chloe said. “He told me he’d given her a moment in the sun.”

And now Luka knew exactly what he was going to do with Constantine.

“Chloe, angel, I have a lot of apologizing to do to you, but it has to wait until I’ve dealt with this.” He kicked Constantine in the butt.

The vampire had stopped convulsing. Luka guessed his body had already started the healing process. It took a lot to stop a vampire and Constantine was an Ancient, able to withstand more than most.

Luka brought a chair from Chloe’s kitchen, set it in front of the window, and tied the vampire to it.

“’isten,” Constantine mumbled. “’ant to ’ake ’eal.”

Luka laughed. “Why would I want to deal with you?”

“’ower.”

“I don’t want power. I want the one thing that you tried to take from me.”

He shot Chloe a glance and risked a little smile. Shit, she was so brave. What the fuck had he been thinking?

“Is this going to work?” Chloe said as Luka fastened another belt around Constantine’s leg.

“Won’t he be able to break free?”

“No,” Luka said. “Don’t look.”

He stood between her and Constantine, but he knew she heard the loud crack because he felt her flinch. When Luka moved, the vampire’s head lolled to one side. He blinked sightless eyes and opened his mouth, but no words came out, only a strange keening.

“It’s probably what he did to Selena. He can’t move now. His blood is working to repair the damage to his body, though I’m not sure it can do anything about the silver nitrate. In any case, by the time it tackles a broken neck the sun will be up.”

“What will happen then?”

“His body might have healed his eyes so that he can see the sun, but even if he can’t see it, he’ll feel it. He’ll turn to ash.”

Constantine let out a gurgled groan.

Luka held out his hand. “Chloe, come with me, please. There’s so much I want to say to you, so much I need to tell you. I didn’t trust you when I should have and I’m not sure you should forgive me for that but right now,
you
need to trust
me
.”

Chloe put her hand in his. She hadn’t hesitated and her faith in him after all that he’d done, set Luka’s undead heart on fire.

Chapter Twenty-One

Luka carried her down to his car, a warm, limp weight in his arms, and put her in the passenger seat. He tossed her bag onto the backseat. Chloe’s fingers fumbled with the belt and he fastened it for her.

“Do you really believe me?” she whispered as he set off.

Luka glanced across and met her gaze. “Every word.”

She was silent for a moment. “I’m a lesbian mermaid with homicidal tendencies.”

Luka chuckled. He loved the way she could make him laugh. After all she’d gone through and she still managed to be funny. He was so awash with emotions he could barely think straight.

She was brave. She was stupid. She could have died. She was dying.
Oh God
.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To my house. You’ll be safe there.”
From what? Death? Him
? How could he save her?

“What from?”

He should have known he wouldn’t get away with that.