Betrayed (14 page)

He yanked her against him, his grip so tight it almost hurt. “I would search to the ends of the earth for you,” he growled. “You cannot hide from me.”

“I don’t want to hide from you,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion. “I love you.”

He studied her silently, his eyes flashing as silver as the moon on the waves. “I’m sorry,” he said finally. “But there was . . .” He drew a deep breath,
then
said instead, “I
am
sorry,
lubimaya
.”

Cyn swallowed hard, knowing how difficult it was for him to apologize for anything. He was a vampire lord, a king in his own realm. But taking a stand against him had been the hardest thing
she’d
ever done, too.

“It’s nearly dawn,” Raphael said, meeting her gaze. He let go of her and stepped back, holding out his hand.

Cyn looked at it, her sight blurry with tears. Earlier, she’d gone so far as to consider leaving the estate and going to her own condo for the night. But he would simply have chased her down, and she didn’t want to leave anyway. She’d never believed problems could be solved by storming out and refusing to talk.
 

But more than that, if she refused Raphael’s apology, refused to sleep with him this morning, it would cross a line that couldn’t be uncrossed. And it would hurt him. She didn’t want him hurt. She just wanted him to trust her enough to be honest with her.

She reached out and took his hand.

“I love you, my Cyn.”

“I know,” she whispered. “I love you, too.” But she couldn’t help wondering if loving each other would be enough.

Epilogue

South Dakota

Lucas glanced up a moment before a soft knock sounded on his office door. “Come in,
Magda
,” he called absently, not bothering to raise his voice.
Magda
was a vampire, one of his own. She also happened to be his lawyer, and he assumed this visit had something to do with that persistent FBI agent who’d finally informed them she’d be arriving this week, although she’d been annoyingly vague on specifics. If it had been anyone else, he’d have told his guards to send the person packing with a few memories missing. But this was the FBI, and disregarding a summons from them could be hazardous. Far easier to talk to the woman, answer her questions and send her on her way happy, or at least satisfied.

Magda
strolled into his office with her usual sexy sway. He thought it might have something to do with those spike heels she was always wearing. Lucas wasn’t immune to
Magda’s
considerable charms, had in fact sampled them back in the day, when he’d turned her. But it wasn’t her beauty that had convinced him to make her Vampire. Beautiful women were easily had, at least for Lucas.
Magda
was also very smart, and good lawyers were hard to find.

“
La femme
FBI finally called,”
Magda
informed him.

“At last!”
Lucas said, dropping the report he’d been reading. “When will she be here?”

“Tomorrow night.”

Lucas made a face. “Did you thank her for the advance notice?”

“Hey, she wanted to come tonight. I told her that was impossible.”

“You think she did it on purpose? I mean, she’s been playing coy for weeks, and suddenly it’s ‘I must see you immediately’ time?”

“Maybe.
Or maybe she’s just—”

Lucas’s phone rang and he held up a finger, telling
Magda
to wait a moment. The number of that particular phone was known to only seven vampires, and he recognized which one was calling.

“My lord,” he said.

“Lucas,” Raphael’s familiar voice greeted him. “I have a name for you.”

Lucas’s eyes came up and met those of his lieutenant, Nicholas, who was sitting eagerly forward on his chair.

“It worked then?” Lucas asked Raphael. Lucas had known of the plan to draw the sniper in, though he hadn’t liked it. What he wanted to know now was not only if the plan had worked, but if everyone was well in the aftermath.

“It worked beautifully,” Raphael acknowledged, “although my Cyn might tell you differently.”

“Ah,” Lucas said, understanding. Raphael must have been injured, but clearly not too terribly, or Lucas would have known. “And the vampire who hired the assassin?” he asked quietly.

“Alfonso
Heintz
.”

“Alfonso
Heintz
,” he repeated, exchanging a look with Nicholas. “I know him well. This will be his last sunrise, my lord.”

“Go carefully, Lucas,” Raphael cautioned. “I would not lose you over this.”

Lucas grinned and let amusement color his voice when he said, “You won’t be rid of me that easily, my lord. Give my love to Cynthia.”

Raphael hung up without responding to that last, which only made Lucas grin harder. But when he stood from his desk, there was no trace of humor in his expression. Nicholas gave him a questioning look.

“Gather the warriors, Nicholas. We’ve a traitor to kill.”

To be continued
. . .