Annie Nicholas - Catch

“I had no other resources to turn to. Like it or not, he’s older with more experience.”

This was the first time Rurik had ever snapped at me.

I flinched.

“Archios, my second-in-command, bonded with Belatia as a human before being forced to bring her over.” We both turned as one to look at Tane. “He’d been captured by the church and held captive. Unable to rescue him, Belatia almost went mad with blood lust after a year. Dragos kept her as a curiosity until Archios escaped. The only solution we could figure out was to make her vampire.” He shrugged. “We assume that not being able to get her source blood drove her to madness.”

“But I’m not crazy.”

“Not yet. If Rurik had not brought you to Rio…”

Where I got tortured, found out I was bound to Tane and drank from him. Yada, yada, yada. I sighed. “It would have driven me crazy. Is it gone now that I’ve fed from you?”

It was Rurik’s turn to flinch.

Tane glanced from me to him and back. “It should be, though I don’t understand why you craved Rurik’s blood. I’m wondering if we created something new in Budapest. I’d never heard of two vampires trying to bond the same human before. Best you stay close until we figure this out.”

I stared at the rich tones of brown swirls intermingling on my blanket. The tangle of color looked like my life.

“What happened to Belatia?” My head popped up at Rurik’s question.

“She lives here on my estate with Archios. Her hunger became natural when she turned vampire.” He glanced at me. “See? There’s a solution if the hunger drives you mad.”

“No thanks.” By being bound to a vampire, I stopped aging. Bonus. Why would I want to give up daylight and food?

Tane leaned back against the sofa. For a moment he looked tired. “As odd as it sounds, both of you are the only two I can trust at the moment. I have a traitor in my home.” He closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose with his fingers before continuing. “Eric drugged me with the same thing we used against Dragos. I don’t think he ever forgave me for what transpired between us and Colby on the Danube River.”

Tane had kidnapped my ex-boss when we hunted Rurik in Budapest and I assumed did some nasty things to him on his yacht. I doubted Colby forgave him, either.

“They imprisoned me in that hole but I hadn’t ingested enough of the drug for them to break my mind.” He sighed. “Eric had been my companion for so long. I wish it hadn’t ended this way. They killed him for amusement. I had no power to stop it.” I could almost believe the regret I heard in Tane’s voice. It was hard to imagine him caring for someone. He peeked at Rurik. “If I could have stopped either of their torture, I would have.”

Rurik nodded. “I know. I spoke in anger before, unaware Eric had betrayed you.”

Tane closed his eyes again. “Luckard wants to know how the drug is made. He’s never had enough support to oppose me before. Someone else has to be behind all this.”

“One of Dragos’ supporters.” It seemed obvious to me. A no brainer.

His eyes sprang open. “Really? Do you think so?”

Rurik moved to sit closer to me. “Easy, Tane. Connie’s not familiar with our ways.”

“Then start teaching her. She has a new role. It won’t be long before word spreads that she’s bound to me.” Tane stood and met my angry scowl. “All of Dragos’ people are dead. I don’t keep loose ends.” He stalked across the room and back. “There are so many ways to abuse that drug. I wish I knew to what purpose they want it so I could figure out the traitor.”

“Did you capture any of your captors alive?” Rurik touched my hand without looking at me.

“Yes, I’m on my way to—interrogate them.” Tane’s hands fisted. I would hate to be the target of his wrath. His prisoners better hope for a quick death, even though I doubted they’d get one. Not after skewering him with thick metal bars like a brochette. “I know things are tense between us, but you’re the only two I can trust. I need your help.”

“I get to keep Connie?” Rurik confirmed, before I could even open my mouth and tell Tane where he could shove my assistance.

A small smile crept across his face. “Of course.”

Rurik squeezed my hand almost to the point of pain, telling me to keep quiet. “I’ll do my best to find the traitor, Master.” He stood and bowed to Tane, whose eyes narrowed at Rurik’s action.

Tane left the room as silently as he entered. I could see his guards posted at the door before it closed and left us alone. I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest. “Keep me how?”

Rurik glanced at me over his shoulder, a salacious smile on his face. “Naked, preferably.”

“I’m already naked. Heck, I feel as if everyone in this freaking house has seen my bare ass.” The blanket I clutched to my chest gave me a false sense of security.

Rurik spun around. “How?”

“After you left, Tane and his guards stormed in while I stood…Oh never mind.

What’s on the tray?” The last thing I needed to do was fan Rurik’s temper by reminding him about Tane. I fluttered my eyelashes at him and flashed him my sweetest smile.

It worked. He grinned and retrieved the tray from the coffee table where he’d slammed it down upon entering the room. “I brought you some food.” We all had our idiosyncrasies; Rurik liked to watch me eat. If I allowed him inside my mental shield, would he be able to taste what I ate? We never tried it since I was so neurotic about letting anyone in my head. I wasn’t ready to make the offer. Too many people already poked around in there for one day, but maybe once I had my shit together I should ask him if he wanted to try.

After I settled the pillows against the headboard and leaned back, he set the tray on my lap. With a flourish of his wrist, he removed the lid.

I stared at the huge bowl. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.” He lifted my fork and poked around the mound of fresh herbs covering the meal. “It’s fish.” Tomatoes and onions adorned the stew. He skewered a piece and offered it.

The pink, tender flesh of the fish tasted mild. I never had the privilege to become a picky eater as child, I ate what was provided. Old habits were hard to break.

“Do you like it?” He sat next to me. “I can have them send something else. They told me it’s a local dish, and I know you always want to try those.”

His concern tugged at my heartstrings. I touched his cheek with my fingertips and nodded, too choked up to speak. Love was just a word until someone expressed it with a gesture. Rurik never gave me any doubts and I repaid him by finding me naked with Tane. I was a terrible, stupid person. “I want you to know that I’d never—I mean, I thought he only liked men and—and—”

He pressed his thumb to my lips. “I know.”

I ate my meal in silence with my lover next me. The events of the past twenty-four hours began to sink in. Tane, the asshole, and our blood bond, which some parts of me still didn’t want to believe. Who the hell did I piss off in heaven to deserve such a fate?

There was probably a line of souls waiting for their turn to stick it to me. I swallowed my mouthful.

Luckard, I wasn’t capable of dwelling on at the moment. The part of my brain that kept me acting normal couldn’t touch those memories yet, not unless I wanted to begin blubbering and finding corners to hide in.

Colby and his killer. I glanced at Rurik and swallowed my last bite.

He sat next to me on the bed staring at nothing, his knees drawn to his chest.

My meeting with Colby suddenly weighed heavy. I never got the chance to tell my lover anything. “Rurik?”