Vampire Enslavement (Lords of Bondage) (20 page)

“Oh, is that right?” Wow, it was really happening. She supposed she would be shown the whores’ quarters. “When was I going to be told about this?”

“How should I know?” Patrick frowned and said, “I suppose you’ll find another bed easily enough. I doubt anyone would turn you down.”

Kiera pushed his hands away from her. She couldn’t allow herself to think about where she would sleep. It only pissed her off. “So they took those Roman ladies to a brothel. Why did they do that?”

“Don’t you be worrying about that. It’s all part of Diermont’s plan.”

“Where is this brothel?”

“It’s in New Babylon. I’d take you to see it, but the prince would kick my ass for sure. Besides, if I showed up with you, it would cause a riot. Those Romans haven’t had a girl like you. Hell, they’ve never seen a girl like you.”

“Right. I’ll be going.” Kiera had no intention of visiting a Roman brothel. It was a reckless idea anyway. It wasn’t like she could save those girls. If she tried, she’d only be captured and forced to whore herself to Roman men. If she succeeded in freeing them, the prince would find out what she had done and she would be executed. They were at war and she couldn’t afford to sympathize too much with the enemy.

“My bed is still open. Visit me,” Patrick said as she left.

Kiera rolled her eyes and groaned. Is this what she had to look forward to, more indecent proposals that offered her nothing? She left the building with Patrick hot on her heels. Not looking where she was going, she slammed straight into a hard body. She yelled out and found herself looking into Modez’s eyes.

Modez steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

Why did he show up every time she was agitated and on edge? “Nothing. Just let me pass.”

He grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her into his body. “You shouldn’t be outside. It may not be safe.”

His sweaty male scent distracted her and made her think of tasting him again. She pushed the inappropriate thought out of her mind. “And where should I go? I’ve been told I don’t even have a room anymore.”

“Have you failed to notice that you are in a warzone, lady?” He gestured toward the clusters of warriors who were sharpening their blades and applying war paint to their bodies. “We’re patrolling the grounds but at any time we could fall under Roman assault.”

“I’m not an idiot. I’m aware of that,” she said as she tried to twist herself out of Modez’s unyielding grip. “You can unhand me.”

He released her shoulders only to grab onto her arm. “Not until I know you’re safely in the villa.”

“Why do you care about my safety?”

His voice was full of aggravation. “I have enough to do without having to rescue you from a Roman army.”

“Oh, you would actually rescue me? I’m surprised.”

“Don’t argue with me, Kiera.” He started walking toward the villa and she had no choice but to allow him to escort her. His grip on her arm tightened and she felt she was being dragged like an errant child. He turned his head to shoot her a look of annoyance. “For once, could you not just do as asked?”

“It’s not within my capabilities. You know that.” They entered the villa and Kiera noticed the noblewomen scurried out of his way. They couldn’t help but notice his dark expression so it was no wonder they chose to avoid crossing his path. Modez stopped near the chamber she had been using and knocked on the door. Lady Lasair Halloran opened it without delay and handed Modez a familiar satchel. The plain brown case held all of Kiera’s meager possessions.

“Where are you taking her, Modez?” she asked her cousin.

Modez accepted the satchel. “You don’t need to worry your pretty head over it.”

“Don’t take her to the dungeon.”

“What do you know about the dungeon?” Modez’s expression was full of chagrin.

Lasair’s perfect lips flattened into a thin line and her cheeks blushed a deep rose. “More than I wish. It’s disgusting what goes on in that place and I do not approve.”

“I’m not taking her there. At least not tonight.”

“Oh, it is shameful how you males behave!” Lasair shook her head in a helpless gesture. “Snotti asked me to remind you to wear saffron,” she said to Kiera. “She sent over some tunics for you and I put them in your satchel. I’m sorry.”

“So am I. Yellow is so not my color.” Kiera tried to make light of her situation in front of Lasair, but inside she was burning with fury. Only servants and slaves wore saffron.

When Lasair had closeted herself back inside the chamber, Kiera asked, “So where will I be sleeping tonight?”

Modez leaned into her body to speak softly in her ear. “Your things are being moved to Lord Ross’ room.”

Kiera was stumped. Did Diermont think to whore her out to the overlord? She didn’t think he’d be receptive. “Does he not already have a woman inside his room?”

“Cassia Maximus is being held there.” Modez sighed. “This was Diermont’s decision. He wants you to make sure nothing is going on in that bedroom. Your presence should be enough to prevent episodes of human-hybrid sex, but if it becomes necessary, you must remind Cabrian that he cannot use the human until given permission.”

“I don’t belong in their bedroom! Please, I’ve had enough of this business of intruding into other peoples’ sex lives.”

“You must sleep between Lord Ross and Cassia. Those are Diermont’s orders.”

Diermont could shove those orders up his asshole. “I cannot sleep in Lord Ross’ bed, beside him.”

“Your virtue is safe. He will not touch you. He wants the Roman woman.”

“And Diermont wants to use me to keep them apart? I don’t like this.”

“You are to keep them apart physically. If Lord Ross initiates any sexual acts on the human, you are to warn him. If he persists, you are to report immediately to Diermont.” Modez started walking down the hall, past clusters of hybrid warriors who stopped their conversations to watch Modez manhandle the former lady-in-waiting.

Kiera held her tongue until they had passed the gawkers and were once more alone. “This is ridiculous. Diermont is ridiculous. He needs to stay out of other peoples’ bedrooms.”

Modez put his hands around her waist to pull her against his body to lecture her. His breath was hot against her ear as he spoke in a low tone that somehow managed to appear menacing. “You are not to criticize the prince or his orders. He puts people to death for the smallest slight. Do not think he wouldn’t do that to you.”

“I’m the wrong person for the job and you know it.” Kiera breathed in his scent and it made her stomach growl loudly. His proximity made her crave his blood even though she had taken her fill not long ago. She shouldn’t be this thirsty. She guessed he was trying to intimidate her by forcing this closeness. He couldn’t know how he actually affected her. “I could care less who Cabrian Ross fucks.”

“You’re perfect for the job. You should count yourself lucky he’s not ordering you to someone else’s bed. At least Lord Ross will not touch you.”

“Looks like he won’t be touching anyone.” The overlord wouldn’t welcome her presence in the room. She had noticed he had been uncharacteristically hot-tempered around the other warriors of late. Every time a male looked at his slave, Lord Ross’ reaction was volcanic. Most of them averted their eyes when she walked past. “I’m sure that will do wonders for his mood.”

“Lord Ross has already been notified and is expecting you.” He pulled her to the overlord’s chamber door.

Kiera was reluctant to enter. “How do you know I won’t end up having some sort of threesome fling with them? You never know what can happen when three people are forced to share the same bed. And Lord Ross is so sexy.” He managed to be sexy and scary at the same time.

Modez pushed her flat against the door and leaned into her body. She was effectively trapped between his thick, muscled thighs. “I wouldn’t recommend it,” he said in a severe, commanding tone. “Heads would roll if you defied Diermont’s orders. You cannot lay with a male unless given permission to do so.” He smirked and said, “You may think none can resist you, but trust me when I say that you’re not his type.”

She placed a hand on his chest and felt the rapid pulsing of his heart. “One tends to forget such things in the dark.”

“But you will not forget yourself,” Modez said sternly. “If I must, I will personally verify every night that you do not carry his scent. And if you ever do, there will be hell to pay.”

He sounded like a possessive mate when he spoke such words. She wondered if he was merely carrying out Diermont’s orders or if he had a personal interest in her. With her change in status, she technically belonged to him as well as Diermont. Would he claim his rights over her body? She ran her hand down his chest and rested it at his waist. His breathing grew thick and he pressed his body fully into hers. She felt something hard press against her hip. “You do not wish for me to seduce the man away from his Roman mistress?”

“You are not being asked to do that. There is to be no sex in that bed. No sex whatsoever. Not you, not Cabrian, and not Cassia. Do you understand that?”

Kiera laughed. “I understand. I am to dampen the mood and spoil poor Lord Ross’ fun. Seems a shame to do that to a lord just rescued from captivity. He probably needs some sex since he has been going without it for so long.”

“He’s not the only one who has suffered deprivation,” he said in a low, sexy tone. “Will you pity me as well?”

“You’ve been deprived of nothing.” Her hand clutched his waist and pulled him closer. She felt achy at her core and wished she could seek relief. Participation in the mating tests would have done that for her, but Modez and Snotti had blocked her from inclusion. She didn’t want to feel attraction for Modez. But having had his blood made her crave other things as well. “Did Diermont not say you could have whatever you desired?”

“Diermont would not approve of my desires. He gives me what he thinks I want.”

“Now I am curious.” She clutched his hips with both hands and tipped her head to look into his silver eyes. “Are your desires unnatural? You know he would grant you anything, except for what he terms deviant.”

“I want what most males want,” he said in an evasive manner that left her no clue as to his preferences.

“Something so simple, yet you cannot acquire it? I wonder why.” She knew he could get any woman he wanted if he made the effort. He was an unmated nobleman of the royal Halloran line so many matchmaking mamas with maiden daughters pursued him. Since he was such a coveted prize, those mamas had to compete with the unattached widows and warrior females who targeted him as well.

He remained guarded around her. His emotions were shuttered and she wished she was an empath or a telepath so she could discern what he was feeling and thinking. She was surprised he allowed her to hold him. She thought he would remove her hands and say a few cutting words, but he hadn’t. Instead, he said, “My options are limited. Much too limited.”

He hadn’t hidden his disdain of the eligible noblewomen at the villa. Kiera had been flabbergasted to see that he treated them little better than he treated her. “You want a human woman like Cassia.”

His lips thinned. “What I want cannot be found here.”

He had not denied his interest in the human female. Kiera logged that in the back of her mind. “I find that rather insulting.” No hybrid females were good enough for the conceited lord. She wondered if he had something different in mind. Like human. “No wonder Snotti is all into her APS project.”

“Right. I’m sure it’ll keep you up at night from all the worrying.”

“Why yes. We cannot have our men lusting after humans when they should be lusting after us.”

“The humans are pliant and biddable.” His gaze fell on her lips and his expression was hungry, as if he wanted to taste them. “Not to mention they have a certain elasticity that lends itself to a pleasurable ride.”

Kiera had heard that human females were equipped differently than the hybrid ones. She sensed this excited Modez and the knowledge of it annoyed her. “Maybe I should be sleeping in your bed instead of Lord Ross’. It seems you are the one at risk here.”

“You in my bed? Now that’s a thought. We could test the degree to which you affect a man’s libido. I predict you’ll have a dampening effect.”

It irritated her when he acted in an almost seductive manner by speaking in that low, sexy tone and making mention of sexual activities, only to finish it up with insults. He denied any attraction to her but sometimes she felt his actions proved otherwise. “We should do that. Something needs to keep you in check.”

“That would do it.”

She gave him a solemn look. “You really don’t like me much, do you?”

“I like you well enough.” His hands imprisoned her hips and he kept her trapped between him and the door. “How could I not appreciate my new property?”

“Your property,” she said in a flat tone. “I’m more Diermont’s than yours. And despite what the prince thinks, I can remove myself from his possession at any time.”

“It would not be easy to do so. He has reversed your status as a free woman and made you a serf. He would retrieve you if you left.”

Kiera glanced down at herself and realized it would be the last time for a while that she would wear her familiar clothing. The particular garment she wore was a simple gown made of linen dyed a deep indigo color that matched her eyes. She scowled at the thought of wearing the saffron tunic that would signify her fallen status. “Can he do that? Decree me a serf when I’ve lived for years in the palace as one of Snotti’s household?”

“He is a prince and your legal guardian. His word is law and there is no one to speak on your behalf.”

“I’m not going to beg Diermont to reinstate me. I know he won’t do it. But I will always consider myself a free woman.”

“But you are not. You cannot leave until he himself dismisses you. He will eventually tire of you.”

“You make me sound like a mistress.”

“You are his mistress. Have you not realized that yet?” He frowned and said, “He claims he will not touch you, but he’s lying to himself. He’s never been faithful to Snotti no matter how much he claims to care for her.”