Page 29 of Obsessed in Blood
I looked at the bed but didn’t see anything until I pulled back the covers and leaped back.
A single red rose lay on the bed.
What the hell?I picked it up and noticed a small stain of blood on one of the thorns. Well, that explained the prick and blood on my nightgown.
I made a circle, staring into the shadows. No one was there. I turned on every light I could find, confirming I was alone.
I laid the rose on the nightstand, stripped off the nightgown, tossed it in the hamper, and grabbed another one. The drawers were like bottomless pits. Every time I removed something, there was always more underneath.
This nightie was cobalt blue and fit better than the last one. I picked up the rose and sniffed it. It was the same scent as the dream, and I was clueless how it ended up in my bed. One thing was for sure, I couldn’t let Millie, Mrs. Newbridge, the Asshole, or Lorenzo find it. I hadn’t been allowed outside yet, and there hadn’t been any live flowers in the manor except for in the foyer, and it didn’t have any roses in it.
I went back to the dressing room and searched the drawers for the best place to hide it. Even if I tossed it, somebody would notice. Not that I wanted to. I ended up sticking it in the pocket of a winter coat. Spring was turning into summer and there shouldn’t be any need for it. It would be ages before anyone found it. I bent and gave the pocket a quick sniff. The scent calmed me.
I moved around the room, shutting off lights. The clock read four twenty. My eyes grew tired, and once the last of the lights were off I climbed back into bed.
This time when the dreams came they were the disjointed mess I would have expected—a silver necklace, a white flower, its edges dipped in red, and a man out of someone’s nightmares with glowing ice-blue eyes, his arms circled around me. Instead of being terrified, it felt like home.
The dream changed.
Fire was all around me—hot and intense. Someone grabbed me. Hot leather on the back of my legs. The smell of burnt flesh. Someone screamed in agony. I screamed, too.
My eyes popped open. Lorenzo stood over me.
He reached out, placed his hand on my arm, and stared into my eyes. I jerked away, averting my gaze. The first dream roared back with Devon’s warning about mesmerizing.
“Is everything all right?” He sat on the edge of the bed and moved closer, once again taking my hand. “I was leaving my room to take a business call and heard you screaming.”
I wanted to curl up but didn’t think it wise to pull my arm away again. “It was a nightmare.”
He nodded. “That’s to be expected with the recent trauma.” He waited as I stared at the bedcovers, searching for any remaining blood stains while I picked at a loose thread on the sheet. “Look at me, Cressa.”
Shit. I braced myself and glanced up, once again caught in his gaze. His eyes glowed for a brief moment, and while I felt myself drawn in, his pull wasn’t as strong. I leaned in like I usually did. He ran his fingers down my cheek, and I forced myself to remain still.
He bent down and kissed me. His lips were warm, and his tongue traced the outline of my mouth. Then he pushed his tongue inside while a hand moved to my hip. He squeezed—hard. At least it was on the left side where there wasn’t any bruising yet. The pressure brought tears to my eyes.
When he leaned back, his eyes still glowed. “Soon, Cressa. You’ll be mine, soon.” He kissed my forehead, and I waited for him to stand. I glanced up, still swooning, though I exaggerated most of it. I would be lying if I claimed he didn’t have some magical pull, but now that the seed had been planted, all I could dwell on was that I’d been mesmerized.
And while his kiss wasn’t half bad, it didn’t compare to another’s. And though I couldn’t conjure a face, ice-blue eyes flashed in my mind.
ChapterTen
Devon directedthe meeting from his office chair at Lyra’s insistence. Her headaches had increased in the last couple of days, and she preferred to lie on the sofa and listen. He suggested she stay in her room and he’d report to her later, but she insisted on participating.
The cadre was in attendance, including Bella. Four days had passed since the accident, and Jacques was making remarkable progress. Most of his skin had healed, and he’d be approved for light duty in another couple of days.
He picked up the white crystal and scanned the group. “Have we heard anything from The Wolf on what’s happening at the midtown docks?” Someone had to have seen or heard something. They needed confirmation Cressa was on the island, or they would be entirely dependent on her remembering who and what she was.
“Nothing specific.” Decker sat in his usual place at the bar. He wasn’t part of Devon’s cadre, but they were at the point in the mission where constant sharing of information with The Wolf was their only ace. “But they’ve seen a change in Venizi’s routine. He leaves the island each morning and doesn’t return until late. His security around the docks has also increased.”
“It appears my distractions are working.” Bella sat next to Decker, her legs swinging back and forth while she picked through the bowl of nuts left on the bar, mostly likely searching for cashews.
“It’s not enough.” Simone was still on edge, and if Devon didn’t find a target for her soon, he’d have to find a task for her to work out her frustration. “We need someone inside.”
“That would be impossible,” Lucas said. He split his time between keeping Ginger occupied and volunteering for extra security details, admitting he needed to feel more useful.
“Why is that?” Simone asked.
“Perhaps I should have said it would take longer than we want. The staff is vetted quite thoroughly, and Venizi is extremely careful with who he allows on the island. We would need time to build a solid cover story, and then it would likely take months before they were trusted enough to find a position where it would be of any help. The delivery company employees aren’t even allowed on the ferry. The vampires move the supplies on and off.”
