Damek's Redemption

Chapter Ten

Sonia couldn’t take her eyes off Damek. What he’d done back in her hotel room and at the desk was nothing short of amazing. He’d controlled her attacker, getting answers from him as though he were no more than a pesky fly. She’d instinctively known Damek could kill the man with no more than a thought, but seeing that kind of power was something else altogether.

It was truly frightening, and in the hands of a lesser man it could be catastrophic for all humankind. But Sonia knew Damek, knew the kind of man he truly was, and was confident he’d hurt only someone who threatened him. He wasn’t the type to kill indiscriminately.

“All power has limits and comes with a price.” His dark eyes were unfathomable and his answer really wasn’t one at all. He didn’t explain himself, but then again, Sonia guessed he never had to.

She’d taken a risk by asking him not to kill her assailant. She, better than most, understood what that had cost him. Paranormal creatures were more primal than most, their instincts honed deeper than that of a human’s. They protected themselves and those they considered to be under their care at all cost. Werewolves were especially like that, being pack animals. Sonia had never known of a vampire to look out for anyone other than himself, but then again, she’d never met an ancient one.

“Thank you for not killing him.” She’d known deep in her heart that killing that man wouldn’t be good for Damek. Sensed that he was teetering on the edge of a precipice and she didn’t want to be the one who pushed him over the edge. She had no idea what it cost him to wield such power, but guessed it would have to take a toll on him, be an energy drain at the very least.

Damek shrugged. “I will do it in a heartbeat if he makes trouble again. This was his second and final warning.”

Second? That’s right. Damek had met the hunter last night. Her arm ached and she hurt all over, making it difficult to think through the constant pain. And that didn’t even count the adrenaline still racing through her body. She was a mess and had to get a grip on herself. “He’s the man you told me about, isn’t he? The one who was following me?”

Damek shifted and the leather beneath him squeaked slightly. He looked so imposing sitting there and, knowing what she did about him, she should be scared out of her mind. Instead, she felt safe. She longed to crawl onto his lap and lay her head on his shoulder, wanted to feel his strong arms wrapped around her and hear him promise to keep her safe.

Damek inclined his head.

Damn, everything was getting more complicated by the moment. Sonia tried to order her thoughts, but it wasn’t easy. She was still jittery from the attack, not to mention her hormones raging out of control. Sitting next to Damek made all her nerve endings tingle and her body come alive. It was as though after facing the possibility of death, her body wanted to taste life.

She wanted to make love with Damek. Knowing what he was and what she was, knowing all the problems they faced and the secrets between them made no difference whatsoever. She wanted him.

Damek was very aware of Sonia sitting next to him, watching his every move. It took more control than he thought he possessed not to take her down onto the plush leather seat, strip her bare and taste every inch of her sweet skin. Even though she’d cleaned up and changed her sweater, he could still smell her blood. The wound on her arm was still seeping and the damaged clothing tucked in her bag was stained.

He cracked the window and took a deep breath and then another, inhaling the exhaust fumes and pollution from the city street. The safest thing he could do for Sonia was to check her in to a new hotel. From what he’d been able to dig out of the hunter’s mind, Sonia wasn’t being watched now. Luther Kostas was supposed to contact Barnes and tell him where to take her. No one would be able to find her if Damek paid cash for her hotel.

But he would not rest, not knowing she was out there unprotected. Barnes’s contact was somewhere in the city and Sonia wouldn’t be safe until Damek found out where he was and dealt with him.

He drew his cell phone out of his coat pocket and dialed a number he was very familiar with. It was answered on the second ring with a sleepy, “Hello.”

“I did not think of the time. I’m sorry for that.”

Through the receiver, he heard blankets shifting in the background. “Damek. What’s wrong? What do you need?”

He closed his eyes and gave thanks for Craig Lawton. He might be human, but he was trustworthy, a rarity among his species. “I need you to check two names for me. I need everything you can find on them.”

He heard Craig rummaging around and imagined he had his laptop ready to go. “Shoot.”

“John Barnes and Luther Kostas.”

“Can you tell me anything about them? It would help narrow the search.”

“They are vampire hunters and they are both currently in the city.”

“Shit.” Damek could hear Craig’s fingers flying over the keyboard. “This might take me a while.”

“Call me back as soon as you know anything. I’m especially interested in Luther Kostas. He seems to be the one in charge.”

“Got it. I’ll talk to you soon.”

The line went dead and Damek was sure he’d know a lot more about his adversary within a few hours. From what he’d been able to glean from the hunter’s memory, John Barnes didn’t know much about his boss beyond his name and a phone number, and that number had been changed just hours ago with the hunter not having received the new one yet.

Such was the way of the paranormal hunters, a protection mechanism against their paranormal prey. They changed phones frequently and knew little about one another beyond their love of the hunt and their hatred of the paranormal creatures they pursued. But in this day of cyberspace no one could truly hide, and Craig Lawton was one of the best hackers in the world. If there was anything out there to find, Craig would find it. There was always a money trail, something that would lead him to his prey.

Sonia was watching him and she was shivering, her entire body shaking with the tremor. Damek swore, whipped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me you were cold?”

“I didn’t know.” She sounded slightly bemused. “I mean, I guess I blocked it out.”

He rubbed his arms over hers, being careful of her wound, willing her to get warm. “It’s probably shock due to blood loss and everything else you’ve been through tonight.”

“Who did you call?” she asked.

Damek knew he should lie to her if only to protect Craig, but found he couldn’t, not with her enormous gray eyes watching him.

“Craig Lawton.”

She frowned. “The guy from the club earlier this evening. He’s some kind of computer whiz, isn’t he?”

Damek nodded. “Yes, he uses his skills to help us keep abreast of our enemies.”

The limo stopped and Damek could hear the thick metal door rolling up. “Where are we?” she asked.

“Home,” he replied. “We are at my home.” He still wasn’t completely sure why he’d brought her here other than the fact he knew he wouldn’t rest unless he knew she was safe, and he didn’t trust anyone else to guard her but him.

The limo glided forward into the underground garage and came to a halt in front of his private elevator. Damek opened the door and slid out before his driver could come around. He reached in and helped Sonia out of the car, dragging her bag out behind her. He closed the door with a thunk of finality.

“That’s all for tonight, Jerome. Call it a night.”

“Yes, sir. Have a good evening.” His driver slid back into the driver’s seat and the limo headed back to the gate. Damek placed his palm over the sensor on the elevator.

“Wow. That’s high-tech.”

Sonia stood beside him, shivering in spite of the fact she was wearing a sweater and had his coat draped over her shoulders. He wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her into the elevator when the door soundlessly slid open.

“It responds only to me.” The elevator went up until it hit the top floor, the penthouse. The door slid open to a foyer. Damek ushered her across the marble-tile floor to his elaborately carved front door. Once again, he placed his hand on another sensor. Three locks clicked open.

Once they were inside, he turned his security system on. It didn’t go to an outside source, but would take evasive action against intruders and would alert him if anyone tried to get into the elevator or his apartment.

“Welcome to my home.”

Sonia could only stare in wonder at the large expanse of hardwood floor that spread out before her. A tasteful leather sectional sofa sat in front of a gas fireplace, an antique chest of drawers sat just beside the door and the windows on the far end had a glorious view of the city skyline. It reeked of money, and her entire apartment back in New York would fit in his living room.

Damek urged her inward and she paused. “Shouldn’t we take our shoes off?” It seemed a shame to walk on such pristine floors.

“This is my home, Sonia. You can do whatever you wish here.” The sincerity of his words hit her hard. This was where Damek lived when he wasn’t working. This truly was his home.

She toed off her shoes and padded inward, very aware of him hovering behind her. He was so close to her she could feel the brush of his chest against her back. She might not be at her best, but there was nothing wrong with her hormones, and they were all clamoring for her to get closer to Damek.

A long bar area was situated off to the right beyond the sitting area, a rather large dining table sat in solitary splendor on an antique Persian rug that probably cost more than a year’s salary for her, and off to the left were acres of granite countertops and a kitchen that boasted beautiful stainless-steel appliances.

“I need to check your arm.” Before she could protest, he guided her down a short hallway, past a bathroom and two closed doors to an open door at the end. She stumbled to a halt just inside the door. This was his bedroom.

The bed was a huge four-poster that sat high off the floor and came complete with a set of two steps, which were necessary to climb up onto it. The headboard was intricately carved and obviously very old. A huge armoire was opposite the bed and bedside tables flanked both sides of the bed. The light from what looked to be a genuine Tiffany lamp shone on the wall beside the bedside table and onto the bed beside it. The comforters were black and the sheets were crisp white.

She could smell him here, the light scent of the masculine soap he used. There was a book, the only thing of a personal nature, sitting on the nightstand and she wondered what it was. There was no clothing lying around, nothing out of place. She wanted to explore, wanted to know everything about him, to understand this complex man.

“Come.” Damek tossed her suitcase on top of an oriental-style chest that sat at the end of the giant bed, drew his coat away from her shoulders, pried her purse away from her fingers and set both alongside her luggage.

Given the opulence of what she’d seen so far, she should have been prepared for what came next, but nothing could have prepared her for his bathroom. He flicked the light on and she gasped. “This is incredible.”

Black marble tiles covered the floor and climbed up the walls all the way to the ceiling. A tub, big enough to fit four, sat in one corner of the room and a shower stall that could easily fit two was just beyond. A six-foot vanity counter held two sinks and had a gold-leafed mirror above it.

Damek put his hands on her waist, lifted her as though she weighed nothing at all and set her on the counter. The marble countertop was cool beneath her hands as she steadied herself.

“Let’s get this off you.” He eased her sweater off, making sure not to hit her injured arm. Now that she was paying attention to it, the wound started to throb. Sonia bit her lower lip to keep from moaning as Damek unwound the towel. It was stained with her blood and the realization made her feel woozy.

“How bad is it?” She shivered as the memory of the blade slicing through her skin came back full force. It was still hard to wrap her mind around the fact that someone wanted to kill her, and not because she’d done anything bad to him, but simply for what she might know.

“Not too bad. Your coat and sweater likely gave you some protection.”

But not enough. The four-inch gash was still seeping blood and that couldn’t be a good thing, not with Damek being a vampire.

As if he heard her thoughts, his head jerked up and he gave her a ferocious frown. “I can control myself. You have nothing to fear from me.”

She nodded, not knowing what else to say. The man had been angry with her and yet he’d come back and rescued her from her attacker and from possible death. She didn’t think the vampire hunters would have let her walk away from that encounter. They protected themselves at all costs.

Damek was busy pulling out antiseptic and bandages from a drawer in the vanity. He set them all on the counter and went to work cleaning her wound. He filled the sink with warm water, grabbed a sinfully thick white facecloth and wiped away the dried blood from around the knife slash.

Better for her to talk to take her mind off of what he was doing. “Why did you come back? I thought you were mad at me.” Truthfully, she hadn’t thought she’d ever see him again and had feared he’d do something drastic to keep his secrets safe. And that was before she’d known the extent of his powers.

No, scrap that. She didn’t think she had any inkling of the true scope of Damek’s power. He had layers that she didn’t think he’d every shown to anyone. He could potentially be the most dangerous creature on the face of the planet or at least in the country.

“I had a feeling.”

She waited for him to elaborate and realized a few seconds later that he wasn’t going to. That was all she was getting from him. The researcher in her wanted to know what sort of feeling it was and why he’d gotten it about her. They weren’t connected beyond the very powerful sexual vibes flowing between them.

“This will hurt,” he warned before he poured some liquid antiseptic over the wound. Sonia hissed as pain shot up her arm and through her body. It was acute at first but tapered off to a low throb that made her stomach slightly sick. She knew it had to be done, but that didn’t make it any easier.

“I’m sorry.” Damek frowned and began to pull the skin tight with butterfly bandages.

“Do you think it needs stitches?” From where she was sitting, it looked bad enough for that.

He paused and shook his head. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to go to a hospital. Knowing the vampire hunters are out there, it’s not a stretch to think they’d be watching local emergency rooms and clinics for vampires. Many young ones who don’t want to kill go there to steal blood.”

She hadn’t thought about that but it made perfect sense. There was always a ready supply of blood at a hospital and a smart vampire could easily access it with little problem.

He hesitated, then reached for another bandage. Sonia put her hand on his to stop him. “What is it?”

He raised his head, his eyes as black as the tile on the walls. Midnight seduction, mysteries and the knowledge of the ages stared back at her. “I could help you.”

“How?” Her curiosity was piqued now. He was offering her another glimpse at the extent of his powers.

“I have a healing agent in my saliva.”

Of course he did. She knew that much about vampires. They could heal their donors after drawing blood by licking the wound. It was one way in which they could help keep themselves safe from detection by humans. But it took a strong vampire not to take too much and kill the donor.

How did she feel about Damek tasting her blood? Her core began to pulse and her nipples tightened. Okay then. Her body was obviously on board with the idea, but how did she feel about it?

Surprisingly, the idea didn’t freak her out as much as it should have, especially not with blood still seeping out from around the bandages. She probably did need stitches, in spite of Damek’s assessment. But most of all, she trusted him to protect her, even from himself.

“Okay.”

He moved in front of her, capturing her face between his hands. “Are you sure?” She could easily read his uncertainty and wondered about it. Was he uncertain if he could control himself? She didn’t think so. He was the most self-contained paranormal creature she’d ever met.

“Yes. Are you?” she countered.

He sighed and dropped his head forward until his silky hair brushed over her shoulder. “I am afraid I will not stop with just a sip.” He raised his head and his eyes were glowing, a red tinge circling the darkness.

“I trust you.” And she did. If it were up to her, she’d tell Damek everything he wanted to know about her family and The Keepers, but it wasn’t her secret to tell. But with her life and her secrets, she trusted him implicitly. Call her crazy, but there it was. There was something about Damek that spoke to the dark depths of her soul and reassured her that she could trust him with her life.

Damek slowly peeled away the few bandages he’d already applied, wet the facecloth and carefully rubbed it over her arm. Blood seeped slowly from the wound and a bead trickled down her arm. He tossed the cloth aside and lifted her arm, slowly lowering his face to the injured area.

“Sonia?”

She understood the question and nodded. “It’s okay.” She cupped the back of his head with her free hand and drew him down to where blood dripped down her arm.

Damek inhaled the sweet, rich scent of Sonia’s blood and his fangs punched out of his gums, elongating and aching to sink into her silky flesh. But that wasn’t going to happen. This wasn’t about him feeding but about healing her, using the power in his body to ease her injury and make her well.

Her hand on the back of his head guided him closer. He closed his eyes and touched his tongue to the trail of blood dribbling down her arm. The injury was an abomination, one he was about to make disappear.

The first drop of her blood zinged through his body like a mind-altering drug. The next drop hit him with the force of a tsunami. He dragged his tongue slowly up to the gash and over it, drawing every drop of her precious blood into his mouth. Oh, it was sweet and spicy and tasted unlike any blood he’d ever sampled.

His cock shot to attention, hard as a spike and ready. He wanted to sweep her into his arms, carry her to his bed and take her again and again until his lust for her was sated. That, he feared, would take a very, very long time. Truthfully, he didn’t think his desire for her would ever be slaked.

He could hear her heart fluttering and her pulse pounding, both with fear and longing. He trailed his tongue back down the knife wound, making certain it was sealed and healing. Within a day, the scar would fade and there would be no physical memory of this night. Her skin would be flawless once again.

With that in mind, he glided his tongue over her shoulder up to her neck where the scratch from the knife-edge was puckered and red. His teeth grazed her skin and she moaned, her fingers clutching at his head, pulling him closer.

He knew the seduction of the vampire, the pheromones he was secreting that allowed all vampires to draw prey to them without resistance. Even without mind control, he could make her want him, make her want to follow the heat filling her until it took them down into a sea of passion. But he wouldn’t. He’d promised her he would do nothing but heal her, and he’d given his word.

This had to be hell, punishment for every wrong he’d ever committed in the long centuries of his life. To have Sonia so close but to be unable to take her was the punishment of the damned.

He forced himself to trace the scrape on her neck, ignoring the flutter of her pulse and the way the lavender silk and lace encased her truly exceptional breasts. No, he shouldn’t notice the way her nipples pebbled against the fragile fabric, but he did. He shouldn’t acknowledge the musky scent of arousal wafting up from her sex, but it was impossible not to.

He pulled away, bracing his hands on the edge of the cold marble counter, letting the flavor of her blood slide down his throat and into his body. He paused and licked his lips. There was something different about her blood, something not quite right.

He wanted more, wanted to discover what it was about it that bothered him.

“Damek.”

He swallowed hard and raised his head, unable to keep his desire for her secret. His cock pressed against the zipper of his pants, his biceps strained against the sleeves of his shirt. His eyes were tinged with lust and his fangs were prominently displayed.

“Thank you.” Sonia moved her arm, turning it one way and then another. “It’s stopped bleeding and barely hurts at all.”

“Even the scar will be gone within a day or so,” he told her. He didn’t want her to worry about having a permanent reminder of the attack.

“Really? That’s amazing.”

She reached for him but he pulled back. “Don’t.”

Sonia frowned at him, concern filling her gaze. “Why not?”

He pushed away from the counter and took a step back when all he wanted to do was yank her into his arms. The power he’d expended early this evening with the vampire hunter left him vulnerable to Sonia, weakening his resolve. It would be so easy to rip away her clothing, drive himself into her moist heat and sink his fangs into her slender neck, tasting her blood, taking all he needed to replenish himself.

But he wouldn’t. He had bags of blood out in the refrigerator and that cold, almost lifeless substitute would have to do. The beast inside him raged even as the man clamped down on him, chaining the animal roaring inside him.

“It’s not safe for you.”

“I don’t understand.” She frowned at him and he longed to rub his finger over the lines between her brows, to soothe away her concerns, even as lust goaded him to act, to take, to claim what was his.

His temper tipped over the edge. How could she be so obtuse? Couldn’t she see how much she was torturing him?

“What’s not to understand?” He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his rather large erection. “I want you and you want me. It’s a byproduct of my tasting your blood, nothing more.”

He was such a liar. It was so much more, at least to him. Secrets and all, he wanted Sonia until it was a madness within his body, his very soul. He should wipe her memories and send her away for both their sakes. Nothing could come of their being together but heartache and danger. He wanted neither for her.

He wanted Sonia safe and happy.

He’d wanted the same for Elizabetta all those years ago, but what he’d felt for her was nothing compared to the emotions slamming him now. Sonia could be his downfall if he allowed himself to get any closer. She was already a weakness that could be used against him.

It went against the centuries-old code he’d lived by to allow a weakness into his life. Whatever you valued could be taken from you and, given enough time, the hunters always found the weak spot.

“You should go.” It was the best thing for both of them even if it did feel as though he was cutting out his heart.

Sonia eased off the counter and put her hand on his chest over the place where his heart still rested. She probably wouldn’t feel it beat. It beat only when he was aroused or after he’d fed, as his system redistributed the blood he needed to survive. But even then, it was faint, the pulses spaced far apart. His heart could go hours or days without beating at all. It didn’t matter to his everyday existence if it beat or not. To her it would seem as though the organ was useless. Dead. Like him.

Sonia shook her head. “No, it’s not just because you tasted my blood. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you in your club. No, that’s not quite true.” She gave him a smile that was tinged with sadness and deep understanding. “I wanted you from the moment I saw your grainy picture in that paper even though I couldn’t really make out much more than your body shape. I wanted you before I knew who and what you were.”

“And now? Now that you know exactly what I am?” Every muscle in his body tensed, waiting for her reply. She had no idea of the peril she was in. If he took her, he knew in his black soul he’d never let her go.

She slid her hand up to cup his cheek and took a step closer. Her silk-covered breasts brushed his chest in a teasing caress that made his erection flex to get closer to her heat.

“Now, I want you more.”