Bait

Chapter Two

We arrived in the old part of the city close to the Danube River. Rurik’s guards parked the car at the mouth of a narrow, dark alley, obscured by a fog collecting close to the ground. It was late, even by Budapest standards, and the area looked deserted. The side street we took from the Danube Promenade barely allowed the car to pass through the ancient, stone buildings that surrounded us.

Rurik stepped out of the car as one of his guards came and opened my door. The euphoric psychosis I’d experienced wore off but I still felt lightheaded. Rurik appeared beside me. “Let me help you, Rabbit.” He offered his hand.

Rurik’s manners surprised me but I wouldn’t accept my captor’s assistance. Bad enough he got into my head. Even now my mental shield slipped through my control like sand. I pushed myself out and hoped to see signs of my rescue close by. When my heels bit onto the uneven cobblestone, I stumbled back onto the floorboard of the car. Crossing my arms under my breasts, I wished my heated stare could burn through him. Where the hell did he bring me and why?

He extended his hand again and fought with a smile that twitched his lips. His gaze left my face and traveled down to where I crossed my arms.

I followed his gaze. My breasts strained at the neckline.

“I really like that dress.”

I growled and released my pose to accept his hand. “You already complimented me on it.”

He chuckled as he helped me to stand and wrapped an arm around my waist to steady me. “Maybe you had too much.”

“Too much what?” Was that guilt I just saw on his face? Before I could be sure, he turned us to go down the dark, little alley.

I ground my heels to a stop. “Why do we have to go down there?”

“That’s where the party is being held.”

“In an eerie alley? Isn’t that a bit cliché?”

His smile broadened while an amused twinkle came to life in his eyes. “Yes, it is. What can I say? I’m old-fashioned.” Rurik urged me to move forward. “We’re late, so hurry.”

I wasn’t in any state to put up a fight against a quorum of vampires. “I’m not going down there with you.” When was my cavalry going to swoop in and save me? The tracking device should help them find my location.

A tremor shook my chest when I took a breath and even with the cool night air, sweat trickled down my back. “No offense but I just met you. It’s kind of unfair when it’s three against one.” The slight quiver in my voice outraged me. I turned out of his arm and gracelessly tripped again. Freaking cobblestone and stilettos don’t work well together.

I leaned against the stone building and turned so it would support me. Even if I could run they’d catch me. I knew it wasn’t the alcohol that made me feel this uncoordinated. My mental shields never crumbled when I drank. That’s another gift from Colby’s training and my past drinking habits.

Rurik’s forehead creased with a frown as he collected me in his arms. “We don’t have time for this, Rabbit.” He pulled me close and I felt his power building up again. I was helpless as he wrapped a blanket of indifference around me, lifting away my worries and leaving me ... open.

“Ready to go to the party now?”

I smiled as I pressed my body against his and gazed into his pale blue eyes. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” Then I snaked my arm around his neck to snuggle against his luscious body.

His eyes widened. “Ravishing.” He took my face in his hands and closed the distance between our lips, but shook his head before they touched. Sighing, he stepped away and laid his arm across my shoulders. “You’re not for me.”

We wove our way down the alley.

“But I like you.” The fog reflected the moonlight and made the stinking alley romantic. His strength and firm muscles under my hands bloomed desires I’d thought dead.

Rurik rang the bell next to a plain, steel, modern door cut into building. No lights or signs announced anything. I expected a secret knock or maybe a hidden peephole with someone asking the password. My disappointment must have shown on my face.

“What?” he asked.

“That was anticlimactic. I expected more than a doorbell at a secret party.”

He peered at me from the corner of his eyes but before he could respond, a bouncer opened the door. He nodded to Rurik and allowed us in.

We entered onto the landing of a wide staircase that led down to an open basement. Rurik stopped at the top and scanned the crowd. I followed his gaze through the narrow, long space, wondering who he looked for.

The sparse décor surprised me. A bare stone foundation acted as the walls, with similar pillars spaced evenly throughout the room. Small rectangular windows were set far apart, close to the ceiling and painted over in black. I couldn’t see the end of the basement since cigarette smoke veiled the room’s few lights, which obscured any clear view. The stale smell made me scrunch my nose and the music pounding from the back of the hall beat with the same rhythm of my heart .

People lounged in intimate groups on couches overflowing with cushions made of vintage fabrics in rich shades of brown, red, and gold. They conversed in low tones with each other, an occasional high laugh escaped . Some smoked, some drank, and, well, some made out.

A few turned our way and watched our arrival.

I caught myself tugging at the hem of my white dress then stopped, only to find my hands fixing my hair. Rurik’s control on me waned once more, his concentration focused on the crowd. The party’s theme seemed of darker colors and pleasures. My plan to stand out and catch Rurik’s attention backfired. I didn’t want to attract these people’s attention. I shifted over a few steps to stand behind him.

He reached back and took my hand, then gave me a gentle tug to follow him down the stairs. We drew closer to the groups. I observed several with pale skin, predatory grace, and the occasional flash of fangs. I’d never been around so many vampires before. It never occurred to me they met in social gatherings.

I knew enough about vampires to do my job. Otherwise, their way of existence was a mystery to me. Even after a year of experience, Rurik took me from that club without much effort. I’d never encountered anyone like him.

When Rurik turned his power at me it affected my mind like Valium. The more worried I got, the less it mattered. I just couldn’t care enough to be scared or fight.

My present situation grew worse and worse by the second. I should have been tearing my way out the door. Hell, I should never have walked through the door. Instead, I walked hand-in-hand with a mass killer as if we were on a stroll.

But as my grandmother would say, ‘shouldas and wouldas don’t count. ’

This was the biggest risk of my job—being caught. I’d known it. Life expectancy for bait was short. It’s why they paid me the big bucks. I stopped planning to have a long life before I joined Colby’s team.

Rurik kept his arm around my waist as we walked by his people and their thralls. Some nodded, but most bowed as we passed.

His people parted as a ravishing dominatrix moved to intercept us. She glided over the floor wearing a full-length, black, leather, strapless gown. Her straight auburn hair reached her waist, not a strand out of place. That much grace and perfection was unnatural, and unfair.

Rurik cursed under his breath.

She approached us and offered her hand. “Rurik.” She rolled the r’s of his name, making it sound exotic.

He kissed her hand.

“You’re fashionably late again, naughty boy. You’ve left me here to entertain myself among this tiresome retinue.” She ran her gloved fingers through his hair. “You know how I get when I’m bored.”

With a devilish smile, he replied, “I’ll have to make it up to you, Mistress Elizabeth.”

“Please do, darling. Come, join me.” She gestured to a seating area close to us. A gorgeous, young man lay sprawled among the cushions on the floor. He couldn’t have been older than eighteen, just a boy by my standards. He lay so still. A bite mark at the base of his neck cleared up what type of entertainment she partook.

I stepped toward the boy to check on him but Rurik held me tight. Then I noticed his bare chest move with a deep, slow breath. At least he lived.

“Soon, Lizzy.” Rurik gestured to me. “I need to deliver my gift to him. Do you know where he is?”

Rurik wanted to give me away, like a toy at Christmas. I glanced down at my dress and grimaced at my choice. It wouldn’t take him, whoever he was, long to unwrap me. Damn, damn, damn. I feared this unknown vampire would be much worse than Rurik. Better to stick with the monster I knew.

She nodded in my direction. “She’s a doll, so fresh and pretty.” It should have been a compliment but she pursed her lips, like she’d bitten into something distasteful. “Give her to me instead, Rurik. It’s been so long since you’ve offered me a gift.” She looked me up and down. I had the ridiculous urge to laugh. Now I knew what a hot fudge sundae felt like when I looked at it that way.

The laugh died in my throat, however, as I saw the hunger for me bloom on her face. Unbelievably, I found myself trusting Rurik for my protection. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed myself against him.

She placed those long fingered hands on her hips. “He won’t care if you give her to me instead. What’s mine is his and what’s his is mine.”

“We both know it hasn’t been that way for decades, Lizzy,” Rurik whispered. “I can’t risk his displeasure right now. If he wants you to have her, he’ll give her over to you himself.”

Her eyes narrowed. “He doesn’t need any more distractions.” Her sharp words carried power and authority. “Give her to me.”

At the snap of her command, I fought the desire to obey and run to her arms. I must have tightened my death grip on Rurik’s waist because he stroked my hair and smiled at me.

“Everything will be alright, Rabbit.” His beautiful eyes offered me the reassurance I needed. He returned his attention to Lizzy and shook his head in denial.

“He barely has time for those worthy of his attentions.” She pouted and made it clear that she was one of the worthy.

“You’ve never lacked my attentions. Soon none of this will matter.” He pried my arms off him and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

The way she looked at him left no doubt her thoughts were not chaste. Lizzy focused back on me as she circled around, inspecting all my little details, like I was up for auction.

“She’s plain.”

Plain? At least I wasn’t a scary-ass bitch. Rurik placed his finger under my chin and turned my face toward him.

“Connie is lovely. As the host of this gathering, it’s traditional that I offer him entertainment.” The slight shake of his head warned me to be quiet as he removed his hand from my chin. His attentions returned to Mistress Elizabeth. “Let me deliver sweet Connie to him so I can return to entertain you.”

“When did you become a traditionalist?”

“I’m not, but he is.” Rurik slipped his arm around me. His face remained pleasant but I felt his body tense.

“You shouldn’t have picked such an innocent girl. It’s so cruel.”

“Isn’t that what he expects me to be? Cruel?” He grinned at her. “Connie is plain in comparison to your beauty. Let me finish with this business and I’ll return shortly.” His charms worked enough to persuade her to return to the nest of cushions. She glided back to her young, foolish snack.

I glanced at the boy, worried for his fate.

Rurik whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry. She won’t kill him. It’s not allowed, even for her.”

She ran her hand along the boy’s bare, lean chest. “He’s towards the back, Rurik. Playing games with Tane and his kindred.”

Rurik maneuvered me deeper into the hall. We passed more guests too busy amusing themselves to pay us any heed. They lay in a pile of tangled bodies on a nest of cushion, feeding. I imagined it would be different. Hands stroked through hair, lips met, and fangs pierced smooth skin. No one fought or screamed, just quiet sensual touching. Almost erotic.

I didn’t notice that I’d stopped to watch until Rurik whispered in my ear, “We can sit and enjoy the show if you’d like. I’m really in no hurry to return to that bitch.” His warm breath brushed against my skin.

“No.” My voice sounded hoarse. The eerie scene made me morbidly curious, like watching at a car wreck. They all seemed to enjoy themselves, but the blood and the bites appalled me. “You said Lizzy wouldn’t kill the boy because she wasn’t allowed. What about them?”

What about him? We hunted Rurik for just that crime.

“Killing attracts too much public attention to our kind.” He pressed himself against my back as he quietly spoke into my hair. I watched this intimate moment between predator and prey while I felt his warm breath against the nape of my neck. It gave me a flutter of confusing emotions.

His firm body along mine aroused me. When he continued his explanation, I almost missed it. “Our governing body has worked very hard over the centuries to make mankind dismiss us.” His hands wandered down my hips, gathered the hem of my dress, and touched my skin. The brush of his fingernails along my thighs caught my breath. “We need to protect our obscurity, even if it is against our nature.”

“You agree with this?” If he did, maybe Colby had mistaken his target and I could seduce Rurik to keep me for himself instead of passing off as a present. Distract him long enough for my rescue to find me.

“I don’t have to agree with it, just abide by it. We are predators, Connie. We need the hunt...” He leaned in closer from behind so his lips brushed the base of my neck, running his fangs along my skin. “And the chase.” He continued tasting me until he came close to my ear once more. “We all have our weaknesses, our favorite types of prey. You caught his attention at the hot springs last night and fit his tastes. He won’t be able to resist you.” Rurik took a deep shaky breath and stepped away from me. “It’s why I brought you here.”

I turned to face him and slid my hands along his chest to his shoulders. If I stood on tippy toe my lips almost touched his. “You could keep me.” It wouldn’t be all bad to let him have me, as long as I could get past the fangs and keep my dress with the tracking device close by.

His expression changed from a flirtatious playboy, to one of regret. “No, I can’t.” He stared toward the back of the basement then back at me and scratched his chin. “I’ll make you a deal, though. If you do your best to please him, I’ll help you survive the night.”

My heart skipped a beat and I plunked back onto my heels. “How?”

“I’ll watch over you.”

“You won’t dump me for Lizzy first chance you get?”

His cold stare told me his opinion of that action.

I got the impression Rurik didn’t mean a little flirting when he said ‘please him’. “What do I need to do?” How far would I go? I’d like to think I’d keep my dignity but knew I’d dance the can-can, naked in a pool of chocolate syrup, to save my ass.

“I need him to feed from you. It’s what he’ll want the most.”

“You’ll make sure he won’t drink me dry?” I hated the insecurity in my voice, the sound of my plea.

Rurik stroked my cheek. “It’s against our laws and we’re at a public event. He should behave himself. I’ll make an effort to stay close to you and intervene if he starts to harm you.”

That didn’t comfort me. Fighting was suicidal, nowhere to run, and no one to care about my cries for help. It came down to placing myself on the menu while I waited for my rescue by Colby. Damn, I was screwed.

I prayed the tracking signal could penetrate these stone walls. What was taking them so long? Could they even take on this many vampires? We usually ambushed one at a time, not a truckload.

The display of sensuous feasting next to us quieted. Rurik took my hand, then led us toward the music and my fate.

We reached a gathering of tall muscled vampires, more a gang of thugs in comparison to the refined guards who followed Rurik. My heart raced as some of them assessed me. Their eyes roved over my body, one of them touched my hair as I squeezed by him.

They laughed as I scurried away from him and almost ran Rurik over.

He looked over his shoulder and frowned. “Easy, Rabbit.”

I rubbed my sweaty palms on my dress.

“Is that really her name?” Touchy-feely pointed at me. “We haven’t done much but arm wrestle tonight. Maybe we can have a little game of chase?”

“I provided you with other sport for this evening, gentlemen. This one’s for...”

“Rurik.” A soft, commanding voice interrupted him. The group parted as someone approached. “It’s about time you joined us.”

My legs became rubbery as Rurik brought me to him.

“Master.” Rurik bent down to one knee, offering up my hand. “I’ve brought you a gift.”