Vampire Assassin League Bundle 4 - Eternity (37 page)

“That was not my meaning. None of it. I cannot continue to be near you...and not—! Ah! My thoughts are incoherent and all over the place. Emotions I never knew I possessed are all mixed up. As for the physical? Oh. I cannot even explain that! I can barely handle it. All I know is you’re my mate. The one. The only. You understand? To me, you are absolute perfection.”

Ashley stared. He was blushing. Two dark spots touched the tops of his cheeks, making him impossibly more handsome.

“Wow,” she finally replied.

“Every moment with you...it elevates things. I need you. I want you. I desire you! I don’t know how to rein any of that in. I think...I think. Oh hell. I cannot even think!”

“So. Are you saying you want your turn now?” she teased.

“No! Yes! Oh...Ashley! I just want you beneath me! But...no. That’s wrong. I shouldn’t. No. That’s what other men wanted...and it angered you.”

Ashley giggled and the move sliced her tongue slightly. She rocked at the instant euphoria and then swallowed in order to make sense. “Lucien. What I said earlier...uh. I didn’t mean it literally. Okay? It’s more about how a woman is treated. As if she’s beneath...consideration. That sort of thing. Get it?”

“Unequal?” Lucien asked.

“Exactly. So. Um. You want to debate the differences between the sexes right now...or what?”

She moved her free hand from his temple, and ran it down his other arm, reaching and entwining their fingers on that hand, too. The move put her fully onto him, smashing her breasts against his chest. Then he tightened his forearms, lifting her. She kept her frame tight so the new position stretched her above him, just out of reach. Hovering.

He groaned. It reverberated between them, and when he spoke it was in guttural, rapid fashion.

“Oh Ashley! I just want to be buried in you. I want it so badly, it’s a physical pain. And I want it now.
Right now
.”

“Okay. You need me to show you how?”

She’d started the remark in a flippant fashion, but the end was lost in a gasp as he spun, easily placing her right where he wanted. Her legs wrapped about him, her hips sending all kinds of signals with every lunge she made.

“Oh, Ashley. Love. I may be a beginner...”

He filled her, starting a blizzard of sensation. And then pulled out, only to do it again. And again. Taking her higher. And harder. Filling her with an intensity that matched her cries. She slammed her eyes shut. Saw fireworks.

“Oh, yes, Lucien! Yes! Yes!”

Ashley slammed her eyes shut, gaining fireworks behind the lids. And he was waiting for her once the ecstasy peaked. She opened her eyes. He had the slightest lift to one brow as well as a wicked-looking smile. And then he lowered his mouth to her throat and whispered the rest, “...but I learn fast.”

And then he proceeded to fully demonstrate.

CHAPTER TEN

Boom!

Ashley was on her feet facing the door, one hand holding on to Lucien’s while the other clasped the robe about her nakedness. He’d moved simultaneously. But he had a dagger in his free hand, and she didn’t know where he’d gained that. He also loomed over her by almost a foot. Ashley was average height, reaching five and a half feet if she stretched. But Lucien was immense. Really tall. And endlessly vivid.

Boom!

The bolted doors flexed again as something rammed at them, and then two men started yelling on the other side of it. And then arguing. And then it sounded like there was scuffling taking place.

“Lucifer? You in there?”

Lucifer?
They really called him that? Jerks.

“We’re visiting hell,
rasshole.
Of course he is in there
.
Where else would the devil be?”

“You call me that one more time, and—!”

“And what? You’ll finally grow a pair so we can fight evenly?”

“Why, you—!”

The booming noise was replaced by a series of thuds that rattled the doorjamb.

“Sounds like I have visitors.”

Lucien took a step toward the door, stopped as Ashley yanked on his hand. And she almost sighed as he tipped his head down toward her. Light glanced off his marked cheek. And she’d been so right. It fit perfectly with his killer sexiness.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You’re not answering that, are you?”

“Uh. Yes. Sounds like the twins.”

“So?”

“They’re fairly harmless...unless you allow their wrestling to continue. They’ve been known to knock down castles. Destroy entire villages.”

“I don’t care who it is or what they do. You’re not dressed.”

He frowned slightly before answering. “They’re men.”

“Right. Newsflash for you, Lucien. I am not a man. And I am not immune. And if you insist on parading around in the all-together in front of me, well. I’ll just warn you in advance. We won’t be getting to the lab work anytime soon. Sounds like your door may not survive, either.”

“My nakedness...bothers you?”

“Ya think?” she replied.

He grinned. That was even more devastating. “I have other robes.”

“Good. Go get one.”

She released his hand, and turned sideways so she wouldn’t watch him as she donned her own robe. But then she cheated, peeked, and was halfway to the alcove when the door bolt broke. Both doors flew open, slamming into the rock walls. Splinters accompanied it, followed by the forms of two large men, grunting and struggling in some arcane form of wrestling. Their conjoined mass rolled to a stop near her feet. Ashley tilted her head, swished the loose hair and remains of her braid over her shoulder, and looked down at them.

“Um...hello, gentlemen. I hope you have a good reason for this interruption?”

They immediately changed, unclasping arms and legs and gaining their feet, becoming two big guys who stood looking down at her. Ashley had never been around linemen-sized football player types. Too large. Too dense. Too focused on one objective and it wasn’t science. She’d never seen guys this large or so alike. They had brown whiskers coating their cheeks, long blond hair, and more bulging muscle than any man needed. All-in-all, they’d make perfect extras for any sword and slashing movie. Or...forget the swords. They’d be perfect extras in any male-oriented movie.

“Hey look, Athol. The devil has a minion.”

One of them elbowed the other and pointed down at her. Ashley lifted her chin and her back stiffened.

“I’ve told you before. Don’t call me Athol,” the other replied.

“And just who’s going to stop me?”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Name the time and place
.
”

One of them slammed a closed fist into the other’s shoulder. That blow would’ve sent the human Ashley flying. The twin didn’t even sway. Neither of them moved. They just stood there, evaluating the other, with nostrils flared. And this was ridiculous.

“Who the hell are you guys?” Ashley asked.

“The one on the left is Ethelstone. The other is Athlerod. They’re identical twins. From Iceland. Spawned in the ninth century. Or thereabouts.” Lucien answered, and when he joined them she noticed that he was close in height to the twins, but a lot leaner. And a lot more defined. He also had the hood of his robe up, and his head turned, placing the left side of his face in shadow.
He still hid?
Stupid man.

The twins were staring. And then one answered.

“You can tell us apart? Darryl is the only one who can tell us apart that easily.”

“And Akron.”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

“He sees things.”

“Yeah. Psychic.”

“You calling me names again?”

The different brother smacked the other, with the same result. No bruise. No movement. Ashley decided that these guys must push the scales at close to three hundred pounds. It must take a lot of blood to feed them. And that was a stupid thing to ponder.

“Stop that. Both of you. And start talking. What do you want?” Lucien asked.

“Oh. Akron sent us.”

“Yeah. He has a message.”

“He sent us with a crate, idiot. We peeked inside. It appears to be a bed. And all kinds of other items. Pillows. Blankets. Stuff like that. I swear, my real brother was switched at birth.”

“Look who’s talking. My real brother would be smarter than you. And much better looking.”

“Enough already.” Lucien was using the voice that rattled beakers. “Deliver the crate, then the message, and then take your leave.”

One of them backed a step. “Well, you heard him. Come on Athol. Who wants to stay around Lucifer anyway?”

“Don’t call him that,” Ashley inserted.

“Or what?” one of them responded.

“You’ll have to deal with me.”

She rose from the floor to gain the same vantage, absolutely amazed that she hadn’t overshot and hit the ceiling. And then she glared at each in turn.

“Uh. What...should we call him?”

“He has a name,” she answered.

“But we only know him as Lucifer. That’s not his name?”

“His name is Lucien. You got that?”

“Wow. Your minion is tiny, but she’s rather scary,
Lucien
. Reminds me of our mother.”

“We don’t have the same mother. You were spawned by Loki’s handmaiden, while I am the product of a union between Odin and the goddess, Freya.”

“In your dreams,
rasshole
.”

“The crate,” Lucien inserted. He sounded like he was speaking through set teeth. The other twin backed a step to match his brother. Both put their hands up, palms outward. Ashley sank slowly to floor. She even managed to look graceful as she did it. That was pleasing.

“Fine. Ethelstone will fetch it while I deliver the message.”

“Nice try, brother. We will both fetch it. And then we will both deliver the message.”

“Yes. And then we must repair the door.”

“Repair it? Why?”

“We broke it. Akron warned us last time.”

“Lucif—uh. I mean
Lucien
doesn’t look like he will wait that long.”

“We have to put it back in place. At the very least. So it will close.”

“But that will take—”

“If you don’t move your asses, I’m going to show you why I was called Lucifer.” Lucien interrupted them in a whisper that sent gooseflesh roving Ashley’s spine. Tightened her nipples. She moved her arms higher to hide it.

“Works for me,” one twin replied.

“Me, too.”

“You with me, Ethel?”

“As Darryl says, I am on your six. And don’t call me Ethel.”

A blink of time later, and a truck-sized crate was delivered. They placed it on the floor just inside the doorframe. And then they were dusting their hands and nodding, and if Lucien hadn’t stopped them, they’d have left.

“And just where do you think you are going?”

“Uh...back?” one of them answered.

“Without delivering the message?”

“Oh. Yeah. That. He wants you to call him.”

“No. He only wants a call if Lucifer—I mean, Lucien needs him.”

“Why would I need him?” Lucien asked.

“Assistance.”

“Oh. Yes. That is it. Akron said if you need assistance to contact him.”

“Assistance with what?”

“Some investigation you are conducting. Akron didn’t give us particulars.”

Lucien grunted. “I’m not surprised. You may go. And take Ethelstone with you. I’ll handle the door.”

Both men stopped. Stared. And then one asked. “How do you know which of us you’re addressing?”

Lucien grinned. “I’m playing the law of averages, boys.”

“You are?”

“I have a fifty-fifty chance of being right, regardless of my choice.”

“But you are always right.”

“Yes. You must have the luck of the devil.”

“Oh. Good one, brother.”

The both laughed, and then both smacked each other. This time both of them rocked a bit. And then they tossed an arm about the other’s shoulder, turned, and left. Ashley just shook her head. She didn’t know what to say. Those two were like a small cyclone.

“I suppose you know I wasn’t telling the truth.” Lucien whispered it right at her ear. He should’ve expected the jump she made.

“Which...time?”

“I really do know which twin is which. Did you catch it?”

Ashley swiveled. He was very close. Almost too close, if she wanted her mouth and brain to work. “Oh...I’m going to guess that they’re mirrored identical twins.”

His eyebrows rose.

“And if they ever seriously fought, I know which one I’d bet on.”

“Really? Which?”

“The left-handed one.”

A smile touched his lips. “Ah...you noticed that, did you?”

“It’s barely there, but one was born left-hand dominant. He’s ambidextrous now. That’s what happens when it’s corrected over time. He may even have his heart on the opposite side of his chest. If so, he’d survive a normal killing blow. All of which means in a real fight between them, he’ll have the upper hand.”

“Very good. Very good, indeed.”

“Oh please. No praise.”

“It took me...a bit longer to figure it out. Quite a bit longer now that I ponder it.”

“Well. I told you I’m studying forensics. We learn how to pay attention. Notice the smallest detail. I saw that one moved just a hair slower. Everything else being equal, I hypothesized the left-handed, mirrored-theory. So now...the only thing missing is the crucial factor. Which one is left-handed?”

“Ethelstone.”

“Okay. That solves one riddle.”

“Ready for the next?” he asked.

That’s a very big crate. Easily large enough for a king-sized bed. Mattress...

He was sliding a finger along the top of the box as if she’d said it, but he was watching her.

“Next?”
Oh bother
. She was giving away her eagerness with the breathless tone in her voice.

“Your murderer.”

“Uh...you’re not going to contact Akron?”

He shook his head. “No. But I am going to consider that a clue. ”

“Right. Well, I think I’ll get started with latent fingerprints. And then, if you have a camera, it’ll be a simple move to get any prints onto a computer, which I also assume you have. Then I’ll be asking if you have access to IAFIS.”