Blood Wicked (32 page)

Go? Then she knew exactly what he planned to do. “You are going to go after my father, aren’t you?” She sat up, still a little dizzy from lovemaking. As he got off her bed, she followed, unsteadily after all that pleasure.

“Get back into bed,” he commanded.

“No!” she cried. “My father almost killed you.” She needed practical clothes to go out with him. A serviceable gown, which would not take too long to fasten.

“You are not coming with me.”

Halfway to the large wardrobe, she stopped and jerked around. “I thought you couldn’t read my mind.”

“It’s obvious what you’re planning in that lovely head of yours. Why else would you be stalking toward your clothes? You want to come with me to help me.” Green eyes flared at her. He crossed his arms over his naked chest. “I’m not going to permit it. You must stay here.”

“Why?” She planted her hands on her hips. “Do you not see how dangerous this—?”

At once, he moved to stand in front of her. At over six feet
tall, he towered above her. Instinctively, she froze. He looked so aggressive. So unlike Heath.

He grasped her arms. Hard. “What are you doing?”

“I am not going to let you put yourself in danger.”

She tried to break free, but he only clutched harder. Enough to make her whimper with pain. He was so strong, and he wanted his own way, and she suddenly realized she didn’t know what he would be willing to do to get it. A spike of fear shot through her heart.

“Listen to me, Vivi,” he growled. Fury crackled in his eyes, like lightning forking in front of dark emerald trees. He was different from every other man she’d known—except when he wanted his own way. Then he took on the hard, arrogant look she recognized.

“Release me,” she hissed. But he didn’t.

“You have to understand, Vivi.” His voice was low, soft, like a whisper on a sultry night. He was trying to get into her mind and force her that way.

“Your father knows my brother is the same kind of demon I am. For whatever your father is planning, he needs to set the curse free. He’ll do it to Raine.”

“I know,” she cried. “That was why he was willing to kill you. To use your brother instead.”

“I have to rescue my brother against his will. Drag him from Nikolai. That’s why I need you to stay here. I’m going to have to fight Raine and … hell, I can’t destroy him, if it comes to that.”

“Then you need me to protect you,” she declared fiercely. “Now let me go.” To her surprise, he did. She whirled and ran to her wardrobe. Unlike most of the cupboards in this house, it actually contained clothing. “It is not your fault your brother turned to Nikolai. If he was willing to be my father’s tool, knowing what he will become if the curse is released, that
means he is cruel and foolish. I’m not going to let you die because you refuse to raise a hand against your brother.”

She yanked open the doors. A row of gowns faced her, along with three items she’d never seen before. Dimitri must have sent them. She pulled out a pair of tan breeches. This was brilliant, far better than a dress. Hastily she stepped into them.

“I’m not just going to let myself get killed,” he growled.

“I’m afraid you will,” she said. “You think you deserve to pay with your life.” There was also a white linen shirt, and she dragged it over her head. As she shoved the tails into the skintight breeches, Heath’s brows shot up. Her full breasts strained at the fabric—the shirt had been designed for a slender, young male. The white linen revealed the dark circles of each areola, and her hardened nipples poked the material forward.

“Well, it is not as though I’m trying to disguise the fact I’m female. These clothes are just better for a battle.” A dark blue tailcoat hung in the wardrobe. At least that would cover her nipples.

“Breeches and an almost transparent shirt are appropriate fashion for battling powerful vampires who would destroy us both?” He had crossed his arms over his bare chest again, glowering like the devil himself.

Her heart ached. All the lovely pleasure of the night was lost. They were combatants now.

“I will go,” she said flatly. “Either with you, or I shall follow you.”

He tore his hands through his hair. But she had pulled on tall, black leather boots. “I must tell Sarah that I am going with you,” she stated. She wouldn’t fight with him anymore. She was going to do exactly as she wished, and he could be damned. He intended to save Raine whether the lad wanted it or not? She would do the same for him. She stalked to the door. “You should stop lallygagging about and get dressed, Heath.”

“Good bloody Christ,” he shouted.

She shut the door. She had reached Sarah’s room when Heath appeared at her side. He had dressed in the few moments it had taken her to reach Sarah’s room, then raced at vampiric speed to reach her side.

Sarah’s door opened and a surprised maid stood on the threshold. “Oh! Miss Dare. Your lordship. Miss Sarah isn’t here. She went to the music room. With Lord Julian.”

Heath’s brows jerked up in shock. “Julian? Julian is listening to a young lady play music?” His anger vanished. Now he looked highly suspicious—and guilty—as he rubbed his chin.

What did he know about Julian that was making him look as though he’d done something wrong? Vivienne’s heart started to pound. “Perhaps he is pretending to like music, as part of his seduction.” She spun on her heel. “If that’s his plan, he is going to regret it very quickly.”

Soft, melodic harp music rippled out through the slightly open door of the music room—a room Vivienne had not been in before. Then the music ceased and she heard a woman’s soft voice. “I like kissing you. I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

Vivienne halted. The voice sounded so much like Sarah. But much more … sultry.

“I want to be the first man to kiss you,” came a gentleman’s hoarse, desire-filled answer. “And I want to be the last. I want you to be mine, Sarah. Forever.”

Vivienne let out a small scream, but Heath reached the door before she did and threw it open. It banged into the wall with enough force to rock the entire hallway and send plaster flying.

Her heart slammed into her throat. She tried to take in every detail, tried not to panic. Sarah was kissing Julian. Dressed in a deep pink gown that made her skin glow like pearl and her hair shine like the sun, her daughter had her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips pressed hard to his. He had no shirt on.

“Stop!” Vivienne shouted. “Touch her mouth and I’ll geld you, vampire or no!”

But again, Heath reacted far faster than she could. He appeared behind Julian, clamped his hand on the young man’s shoulder, and dragged him away from Sarah.

Sarah stalked forward. She blushed a brighter pink than her dress. “Mother! How could you?”

Fear and shock and more fear tumbled about inside Vivienne’s chest. If she had been a moment later, what would Julian have done? “How could I what?” She sounded like a terrified harridan. “How could I protect you? I am not about to stand by and let you be seduced by a lusty, despicable vampire.” And she saw Heath wince.

“He’s not
seducing
me. He was kissing me.”

“This house is no place for you to be wandering around. There are things going on here that you should not see.”

Sarah put her hands on her hips. “For heaven’s sake, Mother. I know about sex. That doesn’t mean I am going to engage in it.”

Sex. The word almost strangled Vivienne’s breath from her chest. She blushed more fiercely than her daughter. She hadn’t wanted Sarah to even
know
about sex. She’d wanted Sarah to be innocent forever.

“Julian will expect more than a kiss,” she said flatly.

“I don’t,” Julian erupted. He tried to break free of Heath’s hold, but he didn’t succeed. “I intend to court Miss Dare. As a gentleman should.”

“Mother, this is ridiculous. I know what you’ve been doing. I know you are having an … an affair with Lord Blackmoor and I am
happy
for you. All I wanted was one kiss! Julian knew that.”

“Sarah,” Heath said softly. “Vivi is only trying to protect you.”

“And Julian is half dressed. If he only wanted a kiss, why
would he take off his shirt?” Vivienne demanded. Sarah was only eighteen. And naive, for all her bold words. “The point is, Sarah, he is a vampire. And you are not. There can never be any romance between you. And this house is a den of … sin.”

“Mother.” Sarah’s laugh rang into the room. “It’s not evil. Or bad. It’s just sex and pleasure. These people are all happy. That’s what I want to know about. Passion … and love.”

“You can learn all about passion when you are married.” She sounded foolishly prim. But she could not help it. “That is what I want for you. What I could never have. A good marriage, a good husband—security, position, happiness.”

A terrifyingly wise look came into Sarah’s blue-green eyes. “Mother, who am I going to marry? No matter how well behaved I am, I will always be a courtesan’s daughter.”

Vivienne’s heart broke. It simply shattered. Sarah had gone through the agony of learning about her father. And now she’d heard Sarah say the words she’d always feared. Sarah knew her mother had ruined her life before she’d even been born.

Then Heath stalked toward the door. “Julian,” he said coldly. “I wish to speak to you.”

And Vivienne saw the role Heath had taken on: that of irate father.

H
eath hauled Julian into a bedchamber down the corridor before he understood what he was doing: behaving with the younger vampire exactly the way he used to with Raine. He released Julian. “Was this just about a kiss with a pretty girl? Or were you planning to seduce her?”

The younger vampire ran both hands through his fair hair. “I wouldn’t hurt her. I love Sarah.”

Heath sighed. “You can’t love her because you can’t ask her to love you in return. Vivienne may be a succubus, but as far as we know, Sarah is mortal.”

“As far as we know. Christ, Blackmoor, you
don’t
know. All we know is that she’s sick. That she would probably die if you weren’t giving her your blood. I want—” His silver-blue eyes were full of pain. “I want to try giving her my blood. I want the bond to be between Sarah and me. I don’t want you involved anymore.”

The boy really was in love. But Heath shook his head. “I intend to protect Sarah.” He owed it to Vivi to do so, but he also
needed
to protect Sarah. He had done so many things wrong.
He had hurt Ariadne, Meredith, and Raine. Saving Sarah was one thing he could do to balance his accounts.

Julian grasped his shoulder. “Please, Heath. If she gets ill again, I want to save her. I want to be the one. I won’t let her die.”

Now he understood. “You can’t turn her into a vampire.”

Folding his arms over his chest, Julian glared defiantly. “To save her life, I’d do it.”

“Julian, you have no right to damn her to this life because you want her. And we don’t know if it would save her life. We don’t know exactly what Sarah is, if she really is mortal or not. Turning her into a vampire could destroy her.”

Agony flashed in Julian’s blue eyes. “What am I supposed to do, Heath? I love her. I’d do anything for her. How do I find out what Sarah is? Who will know? Who in hell can we trust, Heath? I want to ensure Sarah is safe and healthy and free. But how are we going to do that?”

Sympathy rose in him. “I don’t know yet, Julian. But we will find a way.” He gave Julian the autocratic look he once used on Raine. “And if you break Sarah’s heart—if you misbehave with her—I’ll stake yours myself. If you love her, it means no more brothels. You have to be faithful.”

“I will be,” Julian vowed. “I would never hurt her. But if she’s mortal …”

“Then your heart will end up broken,” Heath said softly. Then he left Julian and found Vivienne as she was leaving Sarah’s room.

Ruefully, she faced him. “Sarah absolutely despises me now for telling her she can’t have Julian. I was always afraid she would hate me for ruining her life the moment it began. She’s right; she’ll always suffer for being a courtesan’s daughter.”

Heath remembered how Sarah’s face had been filled with defiance, but he’d also seen her need for her mother’s approval displayed in her expressive blue eyes.

Vivi hugged herself and strode away from him. Heath knew what she was doing: running from the pain in her heart. He followed until she reached the end of the corridor, then he caught her arm and drew her into an empty bedroom to talk to her.

He tipped up her chin and stared firmly into her large blue eyes. “Sarah doesn’t despise you. If your daughter is shouting at you, rather than being too afraid to speak in case she drives you away, you’ve done a wonderful job as her mother.”

Vivi blinked in astonishment. “You mean your daughter was afraid to speak to you?”

“Yes. I was so arrogant and self centered, I didn’t even realize she was afraid that if she displeased me, I would leave. And I always did leave, on my travels around the world. If Sarah is confident enough to shout at you, she loves you and she knows you love her.”

He kissed Vivi’s startled lips. “In the music room, I didn’t see a girl who resented her mother. I saw a young woman who respects her mother. But I think Sarah now wants to blossom into her own.”

“I know; she wants love and passion. But with Julian? I saw the worried look on your face. Was it because you fear he’ll … bite her? Or change her into a vampire?”

“No, it was that I knew what a rake Julian is. But I spoke to him, and I believe he adores Sarah and won’t hurt her. A vampire can love, Vivi. He can love very deeply.” He shook his head grimly. “Vampires can. A demon like me doesn’t dare.”

“Heath—”

But he put his finger to his lips. Vivienne could barely see him as he raced to the window silently. He pushed open the thick drapes, letting moonlight spill in. Then he cocked his head, listening intently. With her heart thumping, Vivienne strained to hear.

Then Heath spun around and moved to her so quickly, she didn’t see the motion. “Run. With me,” he growled, then he
lifted her feet off the ground and the door hurtled at them so quickly, she shut her eyes.