Unforgiven (The Forbidden Bond 2) (11 page)

It still tied his stomach in knots when he thought of Darren witnessing her ability. To that day he didn’t know if Darren had seen her throw the fire ball that incinerated their van or not.  They’d been wrestling over Darren’s gun at the time. Derek believed that Darren would have traded that information for another dose of the Hypnovam in order to trap his estranged mate if he’d known where the flames had come from. But, it was too late for that now. Soleil Danielle Vaughn had blood bonded herself to the son of her father’s best friend, leaving Darren to suffer for his sins.

Making his way to the street, Derek hopped on his bike, but stopped before turning the key in the ignition. The sweet scent of honey and wood smoke wafted to him on a breeze just before the faint whimper of a female reached his ears.

****

The skin of her back was being rubbed raw. Brandi’s bare shoulders were stinging. She wanted to scream. She wanted to fight and scratch his eyes out. Brandi tried to stoke the flames in her belly and burn his ass, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t even spark an ember. His hands were all over her body. He had enthralled the other guys who held her roughly against the wall.

“I should take you here in the alley like a common whore. Maybe that will teach you to behave as a female should. But I wouldn’t do that to my mate.” He smirked.

“You shouldn’t be out hunting in a club. Don’t your parents provide for you up on that hill? Aren’t they watching out for the interests of your future?  This is exactly why our society is going to shit. You’re a female with too much freedom. When I broke up with you before I left for college, you were supposed to beg me to come back to you. You were supposed to keep yourself pure and clean for me, not run off and find another guy, you slut. Your parents should have accepted the bonding proposal my parents offered them. You are a female.” Nick snarled in her face, “What the hell do you need a college degree for? Your mate should be providing for you while you putter around pregnant and obedient.”

He grabbed her jaw, slamming the back of her head into the brick wall. Brandi prayed he would do it again, because she didn’t want to remember this if he was going to do what she suspected. She had no idea what he was rambling on about. They had decided together to end their past relationship and she had never been told of a bonding offer from him or his family.

“Did you enjoy my friend, Brooke? I gave her a little something special to help you relax. I wanted to share her with you, but you were a greedy girl. Just like a Vaughn.”

Closing her eyes tightly she put everything she had into heating the core of her soul. Normally she fought to contain her fire. Now she wrestled to set it free, but it was useless. Nick lowered his head to inhale deeply at her neck. He ran his tongue from her collarbone up to her ear.

“It’s not too late, Brandi,” he practically purred. Nick’s entire demeanor had changed between one second and the next.

“I’ve decide to keep you after all. I think I’ll bond you to me right now. I will take your blood and give you mine. Then we can work on teaching you to be a proper female. My mother could instruct you on the finer points of caring for your mate and his home.” Nick kissed her, forcing his tongue into her mouth. It was revolting.

Suddenly she found herself on the ground with something sharp poking her in the ass cheek. They had dropped her and she’d fallen to the dirty ground. Her head lulled to the side and landed on Jason’s shoulder. Doug was sprawled out in front of her, the back of his head resting in a puddle of questionable liquid, since it hadn’t rained in a week.

Just as suddenly as she had been dropped, Brandi was scooped up and cradled tightly against a firm chest. He was walking quickly away from the scene of her assault. She struggled to place the familiar scent of her champion. Lifting her head to look him in the eye wasn’t working. She inhaled deeply and it all came back. She’d dreamt of him for months. She’d done everything in her power to erase the warm citrus aroma from her memory, but it still haunted her. How many times had she caught the scent on the wind and followed it only to be disappointed when it faded to nothing? It was her dark-eyed obsession,in the flesh. Holding her and murmuring nonsense sounds of comfort.

SIX

She was clutching at his chest. Derek tucked her more tightly into his body. The feel of the supple bare skin of her thigh contrasted sharply with the way the sequins on her dress scrapedagainst his chest. He could simply hold her away from his body, but having her close felt too good to let the opportunity pass. He might not get another chance.

Brandi pulled weakly at his shirt and gave a whimper. Damn it. She was probably frightened to death. She was incapacitated and he knew exactly why. She smelled of Hypnovam and it pissed him off. He was this close to her and the sweetness of her was diluted by a drug she shouldn’t have come in contact with. That was a huge problem he was going to have to get to the bottom of.

The asshole in the alley had laced the blonde from the club with a drug meant to take out vamps, but he hadn’t been anyone Derek knew from The Nest. How the hell had he gotten his hand on the Hypno? Too bad he’d choked the bastard out in a blind rage before he could beat some answers out of him. When he’d found the mancovering Brandi’s body with his own and the two enthralled humans holding her down, it was all over. He had snapped. Derek would have to catch up with the loser another time.

It seemed like Brandi had had just enough Hypno to weaken her and make her easy prey, but not enough to take her out completely. Now that she was safe in his arms he had to find Nate before he also sank his fangs into the pretty blonde.

Derek stopped in a doorway and sat on the stoop to balance Brandi in his lap while he called Nate. He called several time before Nate answered the phone sounding harassed.

“What, man? I’m busy here,” Nate huffed. A female voice in the background complained about the interruption.

“Do not drink from that girl, Nate. She’s laced with Hypno. I have Brandi and she reeks of it.” It felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had reached his friend in time.

“What? You mean the blonde? I’m not with her. She was too polluted for my taste. I found an alternate menu.” Nate paused a moment and Derek could practically hear his warning sink in.

“What do mean she had Hypno? How?” Nate asked.

“I don’t have time to explain now. I have to get Brandi off the street. All I need is to get caught with the daughter of a Councilman, unconscious from Hypno. No one will believe I didn’t intend to take her to the Master. I can’t take her to The Nest and I can’t take her home like this.” He explained while absently stroking Brandi’s back.

“Why can’t you just drop her at the gate of her family’s estate? They’ll take care of her. Just don’t get caught.”

“Are you kidding me? Their security is a joke. I’ve slipped by them numerous times. She is completely defenseless. I won’t leave her until she is able to fight back any intruders that come for her.” He had to think of a safe place to hide with his precious burden. “Cover for me if I’m missed at The Nest?”

“You know I will, but this a bad idea. You already have an issue with this female. Spending time with her conscious or not won’t help you, my friend.” His tone had softened to that of a concerned older brother.

“I know, but I can’t leave her,” he confessed, “Not yet.”

Derek disconnected the call and looked down to find Brandi staring up at him. Recognition lit her eyes. Her head lulled on an unstable neck, but she held onto his shirt.

“I won’t hurt you, Sparky. I swear it. I’m just going to keep you safe until you’re able to defend yourself.”

He gave her the most reassuring smile he could muster and slid a finger down her flushed cheek. He tried not to think about the fact that her ass was cradled between his thighs. Brandi looked deeply into his eyes before blinking at him in what seemed to be acceptance and leaned into his chest. Derek felt that damn shifting in his chest again. She relaxed against him and trusted him not to hurt her. She’d just been drugged and assaulted, but somehow she looked into his eyes and found someone she could trust. Why hadn’t she seen the things he had done in the past and the things he was still capable of doing?

“Let’s get going, Sparky. I didn’t find your purse so I’m going to steal your car. I don’t think it would be safe or inconspicuous if I strapped you to my bike.”

He stood and headed for the little silver Jaguar he had followed around town so many times and hoped she had really good insurance, because he was about to do some damage.

She seemed to have drifted off by the time they reached their destination. He hoped his friend wasn’t in town so he could slip in and out without involving anyone else. Silently he performed a one handed break and entering at the back door while propping Brandi against the door frame. Once inside the dark kitchen he let out a relieved sigh. He had found a safe hiding place. That was what he thought until he found himself face planted on the floor with a knee in his back. It happened so quickly he didn’t see it coming. Derek began to struggle violently. Where had Brandi gone? Was she hurt? Had he been followed?

“Don’t move asshole! That’s my Berretta against your thick skull.” He received a tap on the back of the head to emphasize the statement.

“Damn it! Let me up, Candy!”

He remained still. His friend wasn’t afraid to use that gun and she was very territorial. He had trespassed in her home and she would defend it to the end. She loosened her hold and turned his face into the dim light shining down the hallway.

“Derek? Jesus! I almost capped you. What the hell are you doing? If anyone saw you I’m kicking your ass! And stop calling me Candy!” she hissed and smacked him in the back of the head.

Candice was the closest thing to family he’d ever had, beside his mom. She’d taken him under her wing and trained him to fight. She was a petite spitfire with a head of deep red curls, the biggest blue eyes he had ever seen and a smart-ass mouth. She was also a cop on the human police force. That made it difficult for them to see each other anymore. He was a criminal and the worst sort of vampire. She was a defender of justice and humanity.

After her run in with the Master years ago, Candice decided to be more than just another vampire debutant waiting for her fanged Romeo to come and sweep her off her feet. She became a cop, because females aren’t accepted in the Warrior ranks. If it hadn’t been for her training, Derek would have died long ago.

“Come on, Candy. You know I’m smarter than your brothers in blue.” She finally let him up, but gave him a swift kick in the ass to send him sprawling again before she backed away.

“My name is Candice. Officer I’ll-kick-your-ass to you boy. Do I look sugary sweet to you? No! So stop calling me Candy!”

She was in rare form. He must have really freaked her out with the B and E. Derek looked around the dark room and found Brandi wedged against a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen. The force of Candy’s attack must have launched her across the room.

“I’m sorry I broke in. I was hoping you wouldn’t be home. I needed a hide out.” Quickly he began checking Brandi for injuries. She appeared to be sleeping and he hoped she hadn’t hit her head.

“And you thought the home of a police officer was a great place to take cover. Do you know what will happen to my career if you get caught here?” She was still fuming.

It was unusual behavior for her. He had snuck into her place many times and had a gun pulled on him before, but she’d never leapt before she looked before. Derek swept Brandi up and carried her to the spare bedroom before he began to explain his predicament. At the end of his brief explanation of how he found Brandi being assaulted, he left out their history and who she was, as well as the reason why he had to hide with her. Candice smiled broadly and shook her head.

“You’ve got the hots for miss who-needs-panties-that-actually-cover-my-ass in there. I can’t believe it. After all these years of hiding and protecting your secrets from our people you are risking it all for a girl who can’t be bothered to leave the corner and cover her ass before she gets high. What was that, dental floss?” She didn’t bother to hide her disapproval.

“Screw you, Candy. We’ll just leave. She’s not like that and I won’t listen to you talk about her like she’s one of your perps. I told you she was being assaulted. That’s all I can say.”

He couldn’t explain the Hypno situation or his involvement in the kidnappings to her. Candice still had strong ties to the Enclave. Derek couldn’t risk testing her loyalty. They had an understanding. Whatever she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

“No. Don’t go,” she sagged into the corner of her sofa. The warm golden light of the lamp shone through her red hair,making her look as if flames were curling around her heart shaped face. “I’m just on edge. There have been a rash of missing person reports and it’s got me snapping at everyone. I’m sorry.”

Derek had to tread carefully. Candice knew he hung with bad people and kept lots of secrets. She knew he did what he had to do to survive and protect his mother. She was freaking out because she had witnessed both the recent attacks by his Master and the ones years ago before he was born. Both times it had started this way. First the humans go missing, then the vampires. He could never tell her he worked for the man that killed her best friend and sent her into a life of public service. He knew about the missing humans. He could tell her exactly where they were. He had helped capture half of them.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled from behind the hands that were covering her face.

“Look, Candy. Just let me keep an eye on her until she comes around. Then we’ll go.” Without looking up,Candy nodded her agreement.

Derek went to look in on his patient. Brandi was stretched out on the bed with a blanket tucked under her arms. Her chest rose and fell reassuringly. Though he knew for his own sanity he shouldn’t, Derek climbed in next to her. He watched her sleep for over an hour, enjoying the chance to be close to her before he dozed off. When he slept he dreamt of her. In his dreams Brandi knew his real identity and didn’t care. In his dreams she took him into her heart and her body. In his dreams he was the kind of man she deserved.