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  The curvy female looked down where her sister lay and stammered in a frail voice, “You k-killed her,”

  “I didn’t kill her, you twit. She still breathes. Her heart still beats. Feel.” The cruel vampire grabbed Lay’s hand and placed it over the right breast of her sister. The sight made his groin thicken in perverted pleasure.

  “Now if you want her to live, you’ll do as I command. Come here!”

  Tears streamed down Lay’s face. Her hands shook, and she tried to back away.

  Fates above, this is going to be fun, he thought, licking his lips as he reached for her.

  An hour and a short drive later, the vampire took the sister he called Food out of his car and flung her over his shoulder. The woman lay unconscious, still weak from her earlier blood loss. As he walked, he grumbled about what transpired in the alley.

  After he’d taken Lay up to a fire escape three floors above the alley for a quickie, she’d carelessly fallen over the railing and tumbled to her death. Her neck made an audible cracking sound when she landed head first on the concrete below. Knowing he had a backup, he jumped down, landing easily on the balls of his feet and grabbed Food, muttering, “Home sweet home.”

  And that was precisely where he was. Home. Or at least a place he thought of as his true home. The place he’d designed to accommodate the real him. He put on a front for the world, but here he let the facade drop, allowed his deep, dark desires to come out and play. He carried Food behind his garage to a specially designed building that stood in quiet depravity.

  “Luuuucy, I’m home,” he called out as he walked through the door to the chamber of horrors he referred to as his playroom. The sound of muted crying met his ears.

  “What, not glad to see me, my dears?” The sarcasm dripped from his words.

  Glancing around the room, he did a quick inventory. Everything sat where he’d left it. To the left there were cabinets that housed his instruments, knives, gags, restraints and such. In the middle of the room, stood a table with leg and arm restraints attached to it. It had holes speckling the surface and a water spigot for easy clean up. Along the concrete walls were shackles, five of which currently held muted occupants.

  He dropped Food on the dirt floor, bringing down the curtain on his opening act for this evening. He moistened his lips, amped up and ready for act two to begin. He dragged his latest toy by the ankle over to a vacated spot on the wall and shackled her wrists. When he snapped the cuffs shut, the hostages’ whimpering increased. No doubt they knew he was ready to play. He bared his fangs then cracked his neck to each side. Spreading his arms out wide, he glided toward the group of women shackled to the opposite wall.

  “Now, now. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you girls didn’t love me.” He bared his fangs. “Now come give Daddy some sugar.”

  Chapter 12

  Marcus donned his riding gloves and jumped on his motorcycle. With a kick of his boot, the engine roared to life, all one-hundred-ninety-eight horses ready to go. He gunned the throttle, enjoying the rumble he felt reverberating through his body. With a tap of his foot, he put the sleek black bike in gear then took off down the drive, spitting gravel behind him.

  The warrior loved this bike, loved how the night air flowed over him, bringing with it the smells of the city. He inhaled deeply, scenting the life around him: the woodland and river creatures, the lush vegetation in the marshes, the sea itself. The faster he went, the more his senses heightened from adrenaline, allowing him to take in more of the city.

  Marcus parked the bike in front of his favorite restaurant, First Bite. Standing three stories tall, the brick building in Savannah’s historic district boasted matching bay windows stacked on top of each other, one on each floor. Carved columns supported the roof of the porch sheltering the wooden rocking chairs that beckoned patrons to sit and talk a spell.

  The first floor contained a restaurant for humans. It served typical southern cuisine and a variety of beverages. Conversely, the second floor was strictly for vampires. It offered the same items available on the first floor, but also provided its patrons blood either in a bag or, for the right price, served at a perfect 98.6 degrees from the vein. Being vampires themselves, the owners of First Bite knew how to provide what their kind wanted. The third floor promised a different type of satisfaction—one not mollified by food or blood. For a price, the patron could get whatever they desired. Both vamps and humans alike worked there, leaving no one’s sexual appetite unsated.

  Marcus walked through the front door. The smell of food assailed his senses. Humans sat before him at round tables whose floor-length tablecloths added to the restaurant’s elegance. The walls, adorned with Victorian period wallpaper, boasted electric lights in iron sconces that bathed the room in a soft glow.

  Marcus maneuvered through the dining area to the staircase located in the back of the room where a big, burly vampire stood at a red velvet rope allowing only vampires access to the second floor. As Marcus approached, the bouncer nodded once in acknowledgement and unchained the rope, allowing Marcus to pass.

  “Thanks, Jason.” Marcus discreetly placed a fifty in the bouncer’s free hand.

  At the top of the stairs, the Alpha entered a mirrored glass door into a foyer. A hostess greeted him from behind a podium. “Hello, sir, may I show you to a table?”

  Marcus flashed her a wide smile. “I’m meeting a friend. Is Mr. Romanoff here yet?”

  After checking her list, she replied, “I believe he is. Right this way.”

  Marcus followed her into the dining room, his gaze sweeping around the room rather than letting it fall to her bottom. As a mated male, there was only one rump he wanted to watch.

  His eyes spied Demetri sitting in a booth across from the bar.

  “Here you go, sir.”

  The hostess gestured toward the booth and handed Marcus a menu, while he slid in smoothly.

  Demetri followed the Alpha’s movement with his eyes. “Hello, comrade. I’m glad you came.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. Is Michael coming?”

  “I don’t know. I left him a voicemail. We’ll see if he shows.”

  A pretty vampire came over to their table. Evident by her youthful face, she’d been converted in her early twenties, but there was no telling how old she was. She bent at the waist and leaned her forearms on the table, giving the males a nice view of the bosom peeking out of her low-cut shirt.

  “How may I help you this evening? Would you like to start with a drink?” She flashed a demure smile that showed the tips of her fangs.

  Demetri leaned forward, placed his hands over the server’s and looked deep into her eyes. “I am in the mood for something special tonight. Do you happen to have any AB negative?”

  “Our last bag just went to the lady over there. I’m sorry.”

  Demetri and Marcus watched as the lady the waitress referenced raised her glass in Demetri’s direction and smiled. Dressed in a pair of black jeans that hugged her long legs and a sweater that swelled over her ample bosom, the woman seemed to revel in Demetri ogling her. Her porcelain skin and beautiful face was surrounded by a wealth of long, blonde hair. As she took a sip from her glass, Demetri nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his attention back to the waitress.

  “I guess I’ll have some AB positive instead. Marcus what do you want?”

  “I’ll take a glass of A positive mixed with Vodka.”

  “One AB Pos and one Truly Bloody Mary. Got it,” the waitress repeated, then sauntered toward the bar.

  The older vampire leaned over the table toward Marcus. “Now that’s what I call a yummy dish.” Demetri gestured with his thumb toward the waitress. “I wonder what she is doing after her shift.”

  The Russian licked his lips, earning a raised brow from Marcus.

  “You’d have better luck with Miss AB negative over there. The waitresses in this place have a strict rule about fraternizing with the customers. Fraternizing is left for the people up on the third floor.”


  An affronted look crossed Demetri’s face. “I’ve never had to pay for company, and I’m not about to start tonight, comrade.”

  “It looks like you won’t have to.” Marcus gestured with a sideways nod of his head. “Those two females at the table over there seem to be interested.”

  Demetri glanced in the direction Marcus gestured. Shadows from the candle flickering on the table danced upon the faces of two dark-haired female vampires. When they made eye contact, they smiled and wiggled their fingers in invitation. Demetri turned back to Marcus without acknowledging the females.

  “They’re not my type. I’ll be right back.” Demetri slipped from the booth and glided over to the woman sipping his AB negative. “Excuse me. Pardon the interruption. Are you dining alone this evening?”

  The woman glanced up meeting his gaze. “Yes, I came in for a little peace and quiet, so if you don’t mind.”

  She tipped her head in the direction of the booth where Marcus sat watching.

  “I was hoping to have a little AB negative, but since you got the last bag, I guess I’ll have to go without. That is unless you’d like to share some of yours.”

  “Not gonna happen, buddy.” The woman pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation and let out a deep sigh. “Look, no offense. I’m sure you are a great guy, but I’m not looking for company tonight, so if you don’t mind.”

  “Perhaps I could buy you another drink. Surely one isn’t enough. We could get to know each other.”

  The woman rolled her eyes, which glowed with anger. “Okay, now I’m getting pissed. Please leave. I don’t want to get to know you. I don’t want any company. I just want to sit here and enjoy my drink in peace, and you are making that impossible.”

  When the waitress placed their drinks on their table, Marcus heard Demetri say, “Fine. I’ll take my leave. My drink has arrived at our table anyway. Excuse me for trying to get to know you. Goodbye, female.”

  Demetri turned on his heels and walked back to the booth with a disgruntled look.

  Marcus couldn’t contain the smirk on his face. “Struck out, huh? She didn’t want the pleasure of your company?”

  Marcus inadvertently gave his friend the opening he needed, and Demetri wasted no time seizing the opportunity to change the subject. “Speaking of company, how’s your heartmate situation? It’s been several weeks now.”

  Marcus took a long draw of his drink before answering. “Not that it’s any of your business, but by the end of the week I expect my heartmate will be with me. I’m going to ask her to move into the plantation on our next date.”

  “I’m very glad to hear that. It must have been hell for you with her in the same city, but not with you in your home. I don’t know how you have stood it this long. A lesser vampire might have lost it by now.”

  Marcus took another swig of his Bloody Mary and replaced the glass with a clink on the table. “The only way I have been able to do it was by seeing her every night since we met. But it hasn’t been easy to leave her every morning, unprotected.”

  “I bet. I don’t know how you do it.” Demetri took a sip from his glass, and Marcus mirrored the act. “If she were my heartmate, I would have thrown her over my shoulder and taken her to my lair long ago.”

  Marcus snorted at the notion just as he spied Michael enter the bar. He waved him over.

  Michael approached the booth with what looked like a forced smile plastered on his face, and Marcus scooted over on the faux leather-covered bench to make room. Their fellow Alpha grabbed the waitress by the arm as she walked by and whispered his order in her ear. His eyes tracked her hips when she strolled to the bar to retrieve his drink.

  Michael slid into the booth, clasping his hands together on the table. “Sorry I’m late. I just got your message, Demetri. Did I miss much?”

  Marcus’ grin stretched across his face. “You missed Demetri crash and bu—”

  Demetri spoke over Marcus, and Michael shot Marcus an inquisitive look. “Where have you been, Michael?”

  The younger Alpha donned an insouciant expression on his face, shifting under the ancient’s discerning glare. “I was out…around the city.”

  Demetri’s brows furrowed with trepidation. “Did you happen to see anything strange? I’m getting concerned. There seems to be an increase in criminal activity lately. Every time I turn on the TV, there is a news report about a death or a missing person.”

  Marcus nodded his head in agreement, his hair falling over his eye. “I noticed that too. I wonder if they are related.” His voice hushed as the waitress placed a glass of blood in front of Michael.

  Michael gave a nonchalant shrug. “Probably not.” He took a large gulp from his glass, swallowing it quickly.

  Michael crinkled his face. “I prefer my blood at 98.6.”

  “They have live donors,” Marcus offered.

  “I do not want to pay an exorbitant amount of money to take it fresh from the vein at the bar.”

  “Suit yourself,” Marcus mumbled and brushed his hair from his eyes. “I thought I might call Stephan and discuss the missing women with him.”

  “I don’t see why you would want to bother him,” Michael commented casually.

  Marcus faced him. “I was thinking we might need the Alpha Council to look into this.”

  Michael finished his drink in one more swallow, the empty glass landing on the table with an audible clink. “I don’t see what the Council could do. I’d wait. It’s too soon to call Stephan.”

  Demetri finished his drink and rejoined the conversation. “I agree. Let’s wait. If there are any more murders, then we’ll call Stephan and start an investigation, if need be.”

  The waitress came over, gathered the empties and asked the males if they needed a refill. Demetri and Marcus indicated they would like another round, but Michael declined.

  “Not drinking tonight, Michael?” Demetri motioned to the empty glass cradled between Michael’s hands.

  “I already had some earlier.” He placed the palm of his right hand over the glass. “I don’t need any more right now.”

  Michael tapped the lip of the glass with his finger as if irritated. He obviously didn’t want to be here.

  “What’s going on with you, Michael?” Marcus narrowed his eyes and tried to push into the Alpha’s mind. He butted up against a mental wall, gleaning nothing.

  “Nothing is going on. Demetri invited me, and I’m here. It’s not like I’d turn down a summons from an ancient and risk insulting the guy.”

  Demetri scoffed and pinned the younger Alpha with his steely stare. “Insult me? You do not have to grace us with your presence, Michael. If there is someplace you’d rather be, by all means go.”

  “Okay. I’ve got things to do. I’ll see you later, then.” Michael stood before either of his fellow Alphas could protest and headed for the door. Demetri and Marcus stared at his back as he left.

  Marcus swore he heard him mumble, “I’m so outta here,” as he pushed through the glass doors.

  He watched Michael disappear from sight. “You know, Demetri, he’s a bit strange.”

  “I’ve met stranger, believe me.” Seemingly mesmerized by the sway of her hips, Demetri watched Miss AB Negative glide out of the dining room,

  “The one that got away,” he murmured into his glass before slugging down the last of his drink. “Marcus, you make sure that you claim that heartmate of yours. There is no reason for you to keep suffering like the rest of us.”

  Marcus nodded and smiled as he thought of his Christina with her beautiful face and auburn hair. He raised his glass and tipped it toward his friend in salute. “I intend to do just that.”

  Chapter 13

  Marcus opened the front door of his home and greeted Christina with an azure-blue silk scarf and a peck on the lips. “I have a surprise for you, Red. Put this on.”

  Marcus tied the blue scarf around Christina’s eyes as a blindfold, the silk cool on her face. He took her arm and led her a short dista
nce. Her heart pounded in her throat with the thrill of anticipation. When they stopped, Marcus carefully removed the blindfold.

  As Christina’s vision adjusted, a wooden door adorned with a large red ribbon came into focus.

  “This is your game room,” she observed, smiling at Marcus, who had a mischievous gleam in his eye and a grin to match. “Is the surprise a new arcade game?”

  Marcus gave a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders. “Why don’t you open the door and find out?”

  Christina turned the knob and pushed open the door. The room had been transformed. The billiard table was absent, as were the arcade machines and the foosball table. Along one wall full-length mirrors now hung, the kind found in a ballet studio. Around the periphery of the room sat a variety of matching padded chairs and loveseats. In the center of the space stood the pièce de résistance—a magnificent grand piano. Its shiny black surface reflected in the mirrors, making it appear as if there were multiple pianos in the room.

  “Oh my gosh, Marcus. What did you do? Where is your game room?”

  Marcus turned to face Christina, taking her hands in his. “Christina, I have something I want to ask you.

  “My people have a concept called heartmates. A heartmate is kind of like a spouse, only stronger. Heartmates never tire of one another. There is no such thing as divorce. As the years go on, their love always grows stronger, never weaker.”

  He gazed deeply into her eyes while she absorbed the information. “The first night we met, I knew you were my heartmate. I love you, cara. I want you to live with me here from now on. I want this to be your home, our home. And I thought if this house was going to be your home, you should have a special room, so I turned my game room into a music room for you.”