Laurann Dohner: Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2

“Okay.” She wanted to go home but eating and take a bath first sounded good. He couldn’t do anything until the sun went down and she couldn’t have slept all day. She wished there was a clock but a quick sweep of the room with her gaze didn’t show one. “You’ll be right back?”

“Twenty minutes at most. Just stay inside the room and no one will bother you. I stay here occasionally.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything, Matty.”

He said it in a husky, sexy way with that accent of his that she loved to hear. “Why do you always come home in a limo right before dawn? What do you do every night after you leave home? Do you have a job?”

He hesitated.

She had a sinking feeling from the little information she learned that she knew what he did at night. “You hunt for food?”

“No. I’m a bagger now. My hunting for blood from hosts is long over as soon as we were able to bribe blood banks into selling it to us. Not all vampires share that approach but we don’t like harming anyone. My friends and I actually go after vampires who kill humans. It’s too dangerous these days to do it and it’s no longer a necessity to survive. I don’t drive and that’s why my friend who owns this club sends a car for me every evening.”

“Will you be working tonight? Can you drop me off at my house?”

He hesitated. “I’m taking the evening off. We’ll talk when I return. Eat, lass. Enjoy a warm bath.” He glanced around the room. “It may look a bit rough with the concrete but the amenities in the bathroom are very modern.”

He spun on his bare feet and walked to the door. His sword rested against the wall. He grabbed it up as he jerked open the door and disappeared into the darkness. No lights lit the hallway. She shivered at the thought of trying to sneak out. She was in some basement. The smell of food drove her to inch closer to the side of the bed, release the sheet, and slide off the edge. The cold floor made her shiver as she tied the thick, fancy robe around her waist.

“What are you doing?”

Blaron frowned at his friend. “Asking you for the night off and can you have someone find me a good home? I’m not holing up with you for long, Lethal.”

“I’m stunned you brought a human here.”

“She’s special.”

Lethal tilted his head and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I see. You fed from her, I take it? What happened to your sworn oath of not taking blood even from willing women?”

Anger tensed Blaron’s body. “She’s the one.”

Shock gripped the other vampire’s features. “How did you find her?”

“She found me. It seems she’s a neighbor, saw a hunter sneaking into my home, and came to save me.”

“That little thing you carried in came to your defense?” He chuckled. “What did she do? Scream to warn you?”

“She had hog tied the hunter by the time I reached them. She’s quick and smart.”

“Have you told her that you plan to keep her?”

“I’m getting there.”

“Good luck. I take it she knows what we are?”

“She guessed before she ever met me. She’s a brave lass.”

His friend leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk he sat behind. “Good luck telling her the truth. She won’t be happy.”

“Maybe she will be.”

Lethal chuckled. “Always the optimist. Let me know how it goes or perhaps I’ll hear the screaming from my office. We’ll go hunting without you tonight. You stay to inform your lass of her future.” He opened a drawer and withdrew handcuffs lined with fur. “Here’s to love. You may need these to convince her to stay.”

Blaron stood. “I won’t be needing those.”

“Take them. It’s best to be prepared.” All humor faded from his features. “She’s a danger to us if you don’t convince her to stay with you. You brought her here and I don’t wish to close the club down.”

“She has no idea where we are.”

“She’s guarded to make sure she doesn’t snoop around or try to leave?”

“No. She won’t flee.”

Lethal stood, glaring. “She is the enemy if she does. Are we clear?”

“Perfectly.” Blaron gripped the handle of his sword. “Don’t threaten her, Lethal. She’s mine and we’ll fight if you try to harm a hair on her precious head.”

Lethal’s stance relaxed. “Make sure we have no reason to come to blows. Friends are hard to keep as the years wear on. I don’t want to lose you.”

They regarded each other and Blaron released his sword. He grabbed the handcuffs off the desk. “I’ll be in my room.”

“Have fun!”

Blaron departed quickly. “Asshole.”

“It takes one to know one.”

Matty rose from the warm bath, her hair washed, and tucked a towel around her body. The door in the other room opened. She froze, afraid it might not be Kilt but instead some other vampire. The door closed and she heard a growl.

“Matty? Are you in there?”

“I’ll be right out.”

She knew that Scottish brogue. He’d come back. She dried off quickly, wished for clothing, but only had the robe to put on. The blood red color of it made her feel like a walking advertisement for a vampire meal on legs. Bad pun. Don’t go there . Her hand hesitated at the door but she turned the handle, opening it up.

It surprised her to see that Kilt had showered and changed. His long hair was still damp and the sight of him in loose black pants was enough to make her gawk. He looked like some kind of blond pirate out of a film with his long hair, the breeches, and a sword hung low from a belt secured at his waist. He stared at her with his sexy eyes when she finally stopped noticing his shirtless, muscled chest. The guy had the best body she’d ever seen.

“You ate.” He looked pleased as he smiled. “I take it was enjoyable? The plate is clean.”

“They serve good food. You were right.”

He shrugged, drawing attention to those broad shoulders. “I had heard but I don’t eat food anymore.”

“Ever?”

“I used to but it’s been a long time.”

“So you can eat it though?”

He hesitated. “I don’t need it and I lost the urge to eat with others a good hundred years ago. Blood is what I need.”

She unconsciously reached up and touched her neck. There wasn’t a mark where he’d bitten her, she’d check in the mirror, but the memory remained. Kilt followed her hand with his gaze and licked his lips. The air between them seemed to warm up in the chilly room as both of them were reminded of what they’d done together on his desk.

Matty dropped her hand quickly. “Have you eaten?”

He hesitated. “Are you offering to feed me?”

She took a step back and bumped the doorway of the bathroom, missing the opening, and halted. “No.”

He reached for his waist, unfastened the belt, and turned his back on her to place his sword on the table by the bed. She watched him, leery of what would happen. The guy weighed at least a hundred pounds more than her and was bodybuilder big. Their gazes met when he faced her.

“I fed and showered to give you time to yourself. We need to talk.”

“Yes, we do. I need to go home. I’m sure that I’m safe. That jerk was after you, not me.”

“You haven’t asked what I did to him.”

She hesitated. “I don’t want to know.”

“Fair enough.” He took a hesitant step toward her. “I’m an honorable man. I want you to know that. You’ll learn but we don’t know each other well.” He stopped feet from her, watching her closely. “I’d never cause you harm and I’d give my life to protect yours. Those are things you can always count on from me. I’m honest and I can pledge total loyalty to you. I’m a bag feeder so there won’t be any other women in my arms.”