Release, book 3 of The Angler series (3 page)

Rurik’s jumpsuit parted enough to give me a fine view of his chest and stomach. Being predators tended to make vampires lean. They must metabolize any fat within the blood they consume
d, because I’d never met an overweight blood-sucker. They all had the sleek edge of a hunter’s build.

The zipper extended to his groin where he slipped out
, hard and ready. He gripped his cock and stroked himself, making a rolling motion with his hips. “You called me your hero.”

I pried
my gaze away from what he did with his hands and met his lustful stare. “I did.”

“Then take off your clothes and show me how grateful you are.”

I quirked my eyebrow at him and resisted the urge to grind my heel to his groin. “That’s abusing the uniform.”

He made an appreciative noise deep in his throat and slid the hem of my dress over my hips. “There has to be some perks to saving lives for a living.
” He gave me a playful wink. “Looks like you still need rescue. That dress appears too tight to breathe in.”

“You’re right.” I mean, I was breathing heavy
, except the dress didn’t constrict my chest in any way.

In one swift jerk he tore the silk material from hem to collar.
That
took skill and I didn’t want to know the details of how he’d acquired such talents. The vampire had centuries on me. I was sure he wasn’t a virgin when we’d met.

My breasts tumbled free.

He sucked in a breath and stroked faster. Dark energy filled the small room. Something new that poured from Rurik. It shadowed his eyes and sharpened the edges of his face. With a shrug of his shoulders, he let the jumpsuit fall off and stepped out of it.

I broke away from his burning glare. With the hair loss, I would have thought he’d grow weaker from the sickness, but Rurik kept growing more powerful. Tane didn’t see it though. To him, we were gnats metaphysically. I was on the bottom of the food chain in our threesome
, so I noticed even the smallest spike. I had to. Prey should always know who the biggest, baddest predators in the room were. 

Spreading my legs with his
hands, Rurik kept one on my knee and moved the other along the line of my thigh. He hooked the edge of my panties with a finger and guided it down my legs, where he tossed it to the floor with his jumpsuit. Eager, he bent forward, placing my legs over his broad shoulders and resting my heels on his back. He ran his fangs along the sensitive skin over my femoral artery.

I squirmed and tried to grip his nonexistent hair.

“Don’t you trust me?” He gave me
that
look. Where his face seemed so serious but his eyes hinted at teasing. I knew him. He’d never hurt me and had even risked his life to save mine. This new blood lust, though, was a stranger in our bed. It rode my lover hard, and I seemed to be its focus. Without Tane accessible to heal me or referee Rurik, I could end up dead.  “You don’t.”

He traced his fingers over the fine hair covering my pussy.

“The last time you fed, Tane had to intervene.”  My voice shook. We hadn’t shared a bed alone in a long while, where I’d be his sole focus. Rurik could be quite demanding and recently he kept forgetting I was only human.

He
slipped his fingers between my labia but didn’t enter my body. He just rubbed over my clit, sending waves of pleasure over my limbs. “Tell me
no
. I’ll stop.”

Gooseflesh puckered my skin at his touch. Even the air seemed charged with his scent.
I fluttered my eyelids closed and moaned. He could be so evil. Saying
no
to Rurik didn’t come so easy, and he knew it. This talent made him an excellent politician and a fabulous ally.

He trailed his tongue after his finger.

Gripping the sheets, I writhed on the bed. It also made him a determined and skilled lover.

He slid
his fingers inside and pumped slowly, heating my desire. “Do you want me to stop?”

I pressed my heels into his back so he couldn’t escape. “Not yet. Maybe you should put more effort into it.”

He barked out a sharp laugh. “I like it when you get bossy.” With a shift of his shoulders against the back of my thighs, he pinned my hips to the bed then gripped my hands to my sides with his own. “Let’s get to work then.” He pressed his mouth on me and replaced his probing fingers with his tongue. Hot and slick, he explored my pleasure points.

My
frantic breathing forced my upper body to move from shoulder to stomach. Everything else was impossible to budge under Rurik’s vampire strength. Pressure built in my lower abdomen the more he pleasured me. He knew my special spots, the ones that zinged when touched or sucked or mouthed. Oh God, and he used them all.

I screamed. The release came so hard and sudden it stole my breath until
the only evidence of my orgasm were my mouth opened wide and my eyes squeezed shut.

He didn’t let me go.

I shuddered and gasped for air. A sharp sting burned in my groin and morphed into something bordering on ecstasy. I arched my back, driving my head further into the soft pillows. Rurik always influenced my mind to change the pain of feeding to pleasure.

His moans echoed mine as he drank.

The grip on my wrists eased as he let me go. With a gentle kiss to my inner thigh, he guided my ankles to rest on his hips and rose over me until he was cradled between my legs. His look of control faded as our gazes met. He plunged inside of me, but not to his root.

“Don’t st
op. You won’t hurt me.” I already had an orgasm. I couldn’t be more primed for him.

“You didn’t seem this sure a few moments ago.” He worked his way deeper. “Fuck, Connie, you’re still so tight.” 
Moving his hips, he found a hard and strong rhythm. I’d be walking softly in the morning. Rurik preferred fucking over love-making. Control over his lovers seemed paramount. We never spoke of his need for dominance in bed, but I think it had something to do with what he’d endured as a Roman slave.

Immortality meant vampires had to learn how to deal with bad shit happening. A person couldn’t live for centuries without
abuse or pain at some point. Made me wonder about Tane, who had lived thousands of years.

Rurik’
s passion slid me across the narrow bed until my head hit the wall.

“Ouch.” I tried to sit
, but he scooped me onto his lap and pressed me against the wall. Sandwiched between a hard surface and hard man, I clung to any piece of flesh I could grab. “Fuck yes.” Sweat slicked our skin as we slid against each other.

A grunt followed each of Rurik’s thrusts.
His fingers dug into the flesh of my hips as he guided them to his needs. He pounded into me so hard and fast, the sound of flesh thudding on flesh masked everything else.

I felt my body tighten.

Rurik arched back in silent release. He still rolled his hips, grounding against me.

My nails pierced the skin on his shoulders as another wave
of intense pleasure crashed over me. I did trust Rurik. On some basic animal level, I knew he’d never truly hurt me. Our love had been forged in blood and fire. Nothing could tear us apart.

The crash o
f waves stirred me awake. Had we arrived close to shore? Water didn’t sound like that when hitting the side of the boat though. I cracked open my eyelid and stared at a blanket of stars above. I’d been inside the cabin when I’d fallen asleep. Sleep walking on a ship seemed hazardous. Sitting up, I stared at the dark ocean trying to suck back this strip of beach.

Okay, so not on the yacht anymore. However,
I’d been here before. Tane’s mental beach. He’d pulled me in here years ago when one of his brothers had tortured me with a hooked whip. A shudder rocked my shoulders. Tane had done it to save me from the pain. Since then, he enjoyed slipping into my dreams and taking me to places in his memories. My favorite was a certain temple in Babylon where people had sacrificed their virginity for fertility.  He’d been quite creative sacrificing mine.

Soft sand squished between my toes as I stood. Twisting, I searched the beach for signs of Tane. I’d never arrived in his head without him w
aiting for me. The ocean breeze pulled at the hem of my dress. Not the one Rurik had torn but something made of animal skins and rough beads. I smoothed my hands over the material and stared at the dark jungle ahead.

Something stirred the underbrush.

Could his clan brothers be doing this to me instead? My bond to Tane tended to keep me safe from unwanted intrusions. If he didn’t show up, how did I wake? I pinched my arm hard and flinched.

Nothing.

Being trapped in Tane’s head would be bad. He’d only shown me good things, but terrible things lurked in here as well. Babylon had been fun, but I’d caught a glimpse of his real memories there. Human sacrifices happened at the temples as well. Vampires had to feed, after all. He’d capped that memory almost as soon as it had spilled into our games. I’d rather not get caught up in some massacre.

The thick leaves parted
, and a young native male stepped onto the beach. He carried a short spear and skin shield. His silken, black hair spilled down his back. When he strode toward me, he walked with the grace of a predator.

Cool water licked at my ankles
, and I yelped. I hadn’t realized I’d retreated toward the ocean. There wasn’t any place to run. This wasn’t real. It was time to wake up.

The man drew closer. There was something familiar about his face and body.  He gave me
a crooked smile. “Rabbit.”

My knees wanted to turn into water. “You asshole. You scared me, Tane.” I’d only seen his human face once in another person’s memory. So he really was from South America
, though his dark skin had faded with time to porcelain white. I rushed to his waiting arms and hugged him close. He even seemed warm. “Are you all right?”

He stroked my hair and pressed a chaste kiss to
my lips. Where Rurik was all seduction and volcanic passion, I found Tane enjoyed more romantic interludes. “I’m well.”

“As in ‘they’re about to stab me with metal rods
,’ or ‘they let me go?’”

“My brothers have
no qualms with me. They think you did this of your own volition. Everyone knows I indulge you too much and they’re not surprised you’d risk your life for Rurik’s.” He gave me a big smile. “They
are
shocked you escaped the city. Are you both safe?”

“Yes, we’re on the yacht. Where should we meet?”

“The three of you will have to decide that.”

“But—”

He pressed his finger over my mouth. “Don’t tell me where you’ll go. The less I know, the better. My brothers can’t break into my mind, but we should act wisely.”

“What should we do?” We weren’t equipped to fight Nosfertu. My old slayer friends didn’t own enough weapons to take on Nosferatu.
Heck, I didn’t even have my passport on me, let alone a weapon.

“Do what you do best, Connie. Run and hide. I will leave a false trail for my brothers to follow. Once I’m sure I can escape unseen, I will find you.”

“How?” The question came out more like a wail than I had wanted.

He tapped my forehead. “Our bond.”

My heart raced. I thought we only had to escape Monte Carlo then Tane would take over and make us safe. A wolf shifter, a vampire, and a human woman did not an army make.

“Take care of Rurik. I’ll be with both of you soon.” He released his hold on me.

“No!” I jerked out of a deep sleep and sat straight up. “Fucker.” I punched the bed.

Rurik blinked the sleep from his eyes. “Bad dream?”

“Tane.” I scooted to the edge of the bed and sat. The clock showed that we’d slept the day away but I didn’t feel rested. My guts twisted and my body ached everywhere. I’d grown too accustomed to Tane being available to heal every little problem. Time for me to pull on the big-girl pants.

Speaking of which, Rurik had torn my only set of clothing asunder. I pulled open the drawers and fo
und clothes but all of them were for men.

“What did he say?” Rurik sat on the edge of the bed
, watching as I searched for something that might fit my smaller frame.

I tossed Rurik some jeans and a shirt.
“We’re on our own.”

“Shit.” He dressed. The jeans hung low on his hips and the shirt was too tight around the shoulders and chest. Yum.

With a little creative rolling, I made a pair of track pants fit and I swam inside the smallest T-shirt. “He doesn’t want to know where we’re going until he’s sure his brothers are following the wrong trail.”

“We should go to Venice.”
He futilely pulled up his jeans. “Once there, I’ll disembark. Then Kam can take you to meet Tane.” He climbed the stairs that led to the deck.

That stung.
“And desert you?” I asked his retreating back. What kind of girlfriend did he think I was? “Wait, let’s discuss this.” I tied a knot in the T-shirt’s hem so it wouldn’t hang around my knees then hurried after him.

The deck was empty except for the light of the full moon. I climbed the ladder to the captain’s deck.

Kam sat at the helm. “Rurik says you heard from Tane?”

I tapped my head. “
We have to find a place to hide for a few days until he can reach us.”

“That’s not exactly what Rurik told me.” Kam
folded his arms across his chest.

Rurik searched the dr
awers. “How do you plot a course without maps?”

I pointed to a little box by Kam’s chair. “GPS system. See
, there are these machines call satellites that…”

If
the look Rurik tossed me could spank, I wouldn’t have been able to sit for a week. “I know what a GPS is, Rabbit. I wasn’t aware we had one.”

“I was teasing.
” I curled up on the white leather bench bolted to the wall behind Kam. “Why Venice?”

“I have supporters in the area. They can hide me until I come up with a better plan.” Rurik and Kam huddled around the GPS. “Do we have enough fuel on board to reach
the city?”

“What if you get worse, Rurik? Will they care for you like I would?”

He sighed. “I
am
getting worse. It took all I had last night not to drink every last drop of your blood.” He turned his head to meet my gaze. “You’re right to not trust me.”

I swallowed with a throat gone dry.
“But you stopped.” How close had I come to dying last night?

“I may not the next time. We should go our separate ways until it’s safe for you to be around me again.”
He turned his attention back to the GPS.

“You’ll risk bringing Nosferatu to your supporters’ doors? That’s not like you.”

His shoulders dropped as if in defeat. “Then where would you suggest we go?” He gave me a weary smile and leaned against the helm controls.

I pursed my lips. We had to hide from the worst vampire clan
in known existence. Any vampire contact would be liability because they might betray our position in fear of what the Nosferatu would do to them. That meant none of Rurik’s supporters could be trusted. I glanced at Kam. The wolf shifters were loyal to Tane but some did work for his brothers as well. The Nosferatu and shifters had an odd relationship that no one would explain to me. Running to Kam’s pack would be an obvious choice. One that Tane’s brothers would be likely to monitor. “Is there a place where vampires don’t live? Where is there a small population or none?” What would keep vampires from settling in a place?

Rurik snorted. “We’re everywhe
re, unless you wish us to move to one of the poles. I could hunt seals and penguins for you to eat.” He raised a questioning eyebrow. “I’m sure blubber is an acquired taste.”

“I had something more tropical in mind. What about a deserted
island?”

Kam shook his head. “We’re in the Mediterranean, not the Pacific. I can drive this boat in good weather and if we’re close to land
, but don’t test my skills by crossing oceans. In other words, it needs to be close.”

Europe had a higher concentration of vampires tha
n any other continent. Was this why they’d chosen Monte Carlo for the meeting, so it would be difficult to run? Those sneaky bastards were too smart. “What about Budapest?” Rurik had been the Overlord of the city when we met.

Rurik
shook his head. “My people all fled when Dragos tried to kill us. The new Overlord would not welcome my return. We may as well surrender than go there. What of the Alps? We could find a cabin.”

I nodded. Plausible. “How far from the coast are they?”

Kam grimaced. “Too far. Someone would spot us on the journey.”

“Not to mention we don’t have any money.” I hung my head. My purse was at the hotel with all my cards and ID. The credit cards would have been useless. I
was sure the Nosferatu had techie vampires working for them who could track those. I knew Tane did.

“Money is something I can fix.” Kam announced with cheer. “My pack keeps bank accounts in most major cities. I have access to them and can acquire enough cash to last
us a few weeks.” He shrugged at our questioning looks. “We’re security for many vampires. Shit happens.”

It sure did. It also ran downhill
, where I usually hung out. “That’s a relief. One problem solved. The last time I had cash issues…” I gasped. “How far from Rome are we?”

Rurik straightened from his slouch. “No.”

“Yes.” I rose from the couch and confronted him. “It makes perfect sense.”

“It’s suicide.”

Kam waved his hands between us. “We could be in Rome by tomorrow night if the weather holds.”

I couldn’t s
top the smug smile on my face. It was well-known that Rome was a city of slayers. The church had begun the systematic destruction of vampires before the dark-age. They drove them into hiding until all that remained was myth. The Nosferatu had decided to stay there. They created and upheld the laws preventing vampires from disclosing their existence to the general population. No killing that attracted human authorities and no loose ends that could provide proof. I’d met Rurik when he’d been accused of mass murder in Budapest. The Nosferatu, as well as slayers, had descended upon the city. We’d cleared his name but only after his people had all fled, he’d been almost smoked by the sun, and I’d been drained dry by the old vampire king.

 
“Rabbit, I once was stuck in that city during World War II. It’s not a place I care to return to.” He used the nickname he’d given me when we first met. He had thought of me as soft and vulnerable. A small prey animal. Boy, had I shown him and his old vampire king.

“
Rome is the last place on Earth they would expect us to go and if they did, they’d hesitate to swarm the place. It’s our best chance. We find some hole to hide in for a few days and wait for Tane. You stay out of sight, don’t attract any attention, and it will work.”

He rolled his eyes.
“I’ll control my urge to attack small groups of children.” He met Kam’s stare. “Slayers guard the city well. I barely escaped with my life last time. How well armed are you?”

The shifter rubbed the back of his neck. “
I took stock of what’s on the ship. A couple of handguns and a box of ammunition is all I have.”

Great. What an invasion we
would make. “Well, the point is to not attract attention, right? So we shouldn’t need weapons.” Dead meat walking if slayers spotted us. Given the choice between fighting slayers and Nosferatu, I’d take the slayers because I might know some of them.

Colby, my ol
d slayer boss, was in New York City on some secret mission for Tane, but I’d been to Rome before and had met a few of his contacts. With some dumb luck, I might be able to get us safe passage. Not all slayers were created equal, though. Colby wouldn’t kill a vampire unless he was a proven human murderer. Others weren’t so picky.

Rurik
’s brow furrowed in thought. “Hide in the slayers’ backyard?”

I nodded and held my breath. It would give us the time we needed to
plan what to do next. I turned to Kam.