Annie Nicholas: Bait

My employer, Colby, would be pissed. I didn’t know all the details of this case, I never did. He would cast me out to a choice location and hope I’d bring in his prize. He led a group of mercenaries I met a year ago, in Las Vegas, who taught me the ropes of my job. They scraped me from the bottom of a bottle and gave me a new life. I owed them.

Colby only dusted vampires gone bad—those who killed. If he accepted a contract, it meant he had concrete proof, and he wanted Rurik. That’s all I needed to know.

A hand on my knee startled me from my worries. “I’ve resisted your temptations, but unfortunately you’ve caught someone else’s notice.” Rurik’s fingers traced along the inside of my thigh. They caressed their way up, making contact with the hem of my very short dress.

My skin tingled but not from his touch.

An aura of power drew around my mental shields. His strength of will felt solid. It wrapped around me like a warm lover on a cold winter’s day. Comfortable and secure, I wanted to give in, tired of the long, cold winter my soul experienced this past year. His power was deep and throbbing. It spoke of age and experience, more than what I’d ever dealt with.

It drew me in. Invited me to come out from behind the mental walls I’d built.

I knew better. If I did, the chances of my winning that deadly contest were nil. He’d own me. I needed to allow him to seduce me, then bring him to Colby, not get caught by mind tricks. My mental shields were built well and strong, yet he hammered at them.

Sweat trickled down my back. I’d never struggled with anyone so strong. Most humans wouldn’t have noticed such an intrusion but Colby trained me well.

I met his stare and opened my legs.

Rurik raised his eyebrows and his smile widened. My distraction worked and the assault eased. “You never seemed interested in partying at any of these clubs. Just mingled, roughed up the men who got too personal. Are you going to rough me up, Rabbit?” His voice caressed me as fingers climbed my thigh to trail along my silk panties.

Bad guy or not, my libido really liked him. I had better taste than this but his naughty behavior and arrogance appealed to my darker nature—the one that wanted to be punished.

The waiter disrupted our intimate moment as he placed a drink on the table. Rurik didn’t move away. He remained glued to me, one arm around the back of my chair, the other warming my loins. But mentally his attack continued to ease off. The blanket of power fell away as I focused on the waiter.

Rurik nibbled on my ear—my major weakness—which shot shivers along my sides. “I ordered you something milder to drink. It’s a local delicacy, a blend of fruit juices. No alcohol.” He handed me the drink.

“Thank you. I’m parched from all the dancing.” It tasted like ambrosia after the vodka. It slid over my tongue and instantly relieved my thirst. “It’s wonderful. I haven’t tasted anything like it on my visit here.”

Rurik ran his hand through my soft curls. He didn’t bother with the mind tricks anymore. Instead, he looked down my dress.

I thrust the girls out. “Enjoying the view?”

He chuckled. “Immensely. You have such a natural, sweet beauty. Very old world. Lovely skin, soft hair, beautiful eyes and such feminine ... curves.” His fingers started to explore more than the silk of my undergarment.

I clamped my legs together and laid a hand on his. “Maybe it’s time you take me somewhere more private?” It surprised me to hear the slur in my speech. I’d only drunk the one shot and the fruit juice. The vodka must have been excellent quality to hit me that hard.

He nodded then gestured to his men to follow as we rose from the chairs.

My legs wobbled when I first stood. It concerned me. What made them so weak? Not that I’d win a race against vampires, but a stable stance gave me a better chance if things went south and I needed to run. My mental shields felt whole so I didn’t think he affected my gait. Maybe the dancing did this and I should hit the gym more often.

Rurik slipped his hand into my grasp and we left together, hand in hand, weaving through the crowds. I almost lost him as a cluster of people pushed between us to get to the bar. Lost in a sea of giants, I turned a slow circle until he returned for me.

He clasped my hands around his waist and wrapped his arms around my shoulders to keep me close, pressing our bodies together as he quickened his pace.

I grinned in satisfaction.

Colby had men planted in the club, to help protect me. He ran a tight operation and had my back. They always placed a tracking device in my clothes, just in case they lost sight of me. Tonight it hid in the hem of my dress. As long as I didn’t take it off the team would be close, waiting for me to bring Rurik to them so they could make a move.

I got the impression Rurik didn’t plan for me to wear this dress much longer. Colby better be ready.

The guards trailed around us, slinking through the crowd.

We came out a side door where a black sedan waited. One guard got in the driver’s seat while another held the back door. I stopped my forward motion. “Where are we going? I have a room just across the street.” A lightheaded spell made my ankles wobble and I gripped Rurik’s waist tighter.

He misunderstood my action, taking it as an invitation. He grabbed the back of my head and kissed me. His supple mouth brushed against mine, seductive and gentle. Not what I would have expected from a killer. It warmed the night.

I pulled away from his embrace. My thoughts blurred. Not a good sign. Alarms rang in my head. “What was in the drink?” I sounded dreamy, even to my own ears.

“No alcohol,” he replied.

That’s not what I asked.

His power built around me again.

This time my mental shields crumbled, gone on a fuzzy holiday. Where could Colby be? Rurik was too strong for me. His power swallowed me whole.

“We are going to a private party, Rabbit.”

“Connie,” I mumbled.

He sat me in the car. “It’s for an important magnate in this territory. You caught his eye the other night and I want to introduce you to him.” He placed my legs into the car and closed the door. That was nice of him. He wanted to set me up on a date.

He sat beside me and grinned. The fangs didn’t bother either of us.

“I like parties,” I announced.

“I think you’ll love this one.”

We arrived in the old part of the city close to the Danube River. Rurik’s guards parked the car at the mouth of a narrow, dark alley, obscured by a fog collecting close to the ground. It was late, even by Budapest standards, and the area looked deserted. The side street we took from the Danube Promenade barely allowed the car to pass through the ancient, stone buildings that surrounded us.

Rurik stepped out of the car as one of his guards came and opened my door. The euphoric psychosis I’d experienced wore off but I still felt lightheaded. Rurik appeared beside me. “Let me help you, Rabbit.” He offered his hand.

Rurik’s manners surprised me but I wouldn’t accept my captor’s assistance. Bad enough he got into my head. Even now my mental shield slipped through my control like sand. I pushed myself out and hoped to see signs of my rescue close by. When my heels bit onto the uneven cobblestone, I stumbled back onto the floorboard of the car. Crossing my arms under my breasts, I wished my heated stare could burn through him. Where the hell did he bring me and why?

He extended his hand again and fought with a smile that twitched his lips. His gaze left my face and traveled down to where I crossed my arms.

I followed his gaze. My breasts strained at the neckline.