Page 53 of Obsessed in Blood
He set the pen down, folded the letter, and slid it into an envelope that had already been addressed. He stood and leaned against the desk. “And I wanted to give you time to rest. A lot happened today. You risked a great deal escaping the island only to face a room filled with friends where you had to show how strong you were.”
“I agree I need time to wrap my head around everything that’s happened. I’m probably in some delayed shock, but…”
He was in front of me in two quick strides, tugging me to him. I wrapped my arms around him, unable to get close enough. Devon was my haven, my safety net, and knowing he’d put as much effort into finding me as I did in calming his beast shattered all the petty issues I’d piled between us.
They were nothing in comparison to the threat that faced us. Lorenzo wouldn’t be happy to find me gone, and he would rage the next time he saw me standing with Devon. Santiga Bay might be large enough to hide in, but the vampire community wasn’t.
Devon took a step back and waited for me to meet his gaze. Where most people would be terrified when his eyes glowed an icy blue, it made my insides quiver when they melted to a silver blue. He ran a finger along my lips then brushed my hair back.
“I thought I’d lost you.” His voice was thick with emotion.
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I should never have gone to the condo.”
He shook his head. “You shouldn’t have to worry about where you stay. It was my responsibility to keep you safe.”
I snorted. “You can’t keep me in a gilded cage or drive me around in an armored truck.”
His brow lifted. “Now, that’s an idea.”
I poked him in the ribs. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. And let’s not talk about that. Right now, I don’t want to talk at all.” He kissed me. It was slow and sensuous, tempting me to ask for more, but I let him continue at his own pace, taking time to enjoy the feel of his lips on mine, the warmth of them, and the growing heat between us.
How could someone have made me forget this vampire? I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer, not wanting him to end the kiss. The world around us ceased. He was all I needed, and I let everything else go.
He picked me up and carried me to the bed. His hands were gentle as he removed my clothing, his touch electric where his fingers skimmed my skin. He stepped back and removed his clothing, but he was taking too long. I wanted his touch, his skin on mine, and our bodies entwined.
He complied as if he’d heard me scream my demands out loud. He covered me with his lean physique, his knee pushing my legs apart as his lips returned to mine for a quick kiss before running his fangs down my neck. A ripple of need rushed over me. He continued a path around my breasts, over my tummy, and lower still until I arched with satisfaction.
I forgot the days we’d been apart and my stolen memories. I never thought someone would love me with such passion. The idea that we could have lost this so easily drove me to a decision. But then I felt the beast in him rise, and the thought slipped away.
It might have been minutes or an hour when I cried out as the orgasm hit, shaking me to my core as wave after wave crashed over me.
His thrusts increased until the intense pleasure rippled through me again. He howled like a wolf—or perhaps the beast was calling out its satisfaction as his body shook and his final strokes slowed before he collapsed next to me, rolling me with him.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms, my last murky thought repeating over and over in my head—I’ll never forget again.
I wokein a place of darkness. What little light there was came from a crude window cut out of stone that was covered with a crosshatch pattern made of vertical and horizontal iron bars. Stars shone in a dark sky, and waves crashed against a shore from somewhere below.
I spun around at the strike of a match. A small oil lamp sat on a table in a large room, its edges barely visible. But the flame was strong enough to reflect the stone walls. Stacks of books were piled high on the table, and behind it were two wooden bookcases so old they appeared to lean against each other for support. They were over-stuffed with more books and collections of papers wrapped in string. Rolls of parchment were gathered on a top shelf, held in place by thick tomes.
I shuddered when I noticed the iron shackles on the wall next to the bookcase. Two were placed about shoulder height and two near the floor. A quick image flashed of a man held in the manacles, spread eagle against the wall. Then it was gone.
A cot was set against another wall. It was two feet off the floor, and a single blanket had been shoved aside, a limp pillow at the head. There was a second table with a wooden chair where a tin plate and cup perched next to another lamp, this one unlit.
In a corner, a sheet hung from the wall, and I guessed from the stink that it hid some form of bathroom I was happy not to see. Next to it was a wooden door inset with a speakeasy door made of vertical iron bars. At the bottom of the door was another opening, this one much wider but only twelve inches high. Another image hit me that showed a tray of food being passed through it. This was a dungeon cell.
Hooks had been drilled into the wall where ragged clothing hung. Hand drawings had been taped to the walls—garden scenes, night skies where the stars were linked together into astrological shapes, and dozens with the face of a woman. The same woman.
I stumbled back. Lyra. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind.
Another sound made me spin around. A man stood by the bed. He was painfully thin. His clothes were threadbare, and his greasy hair fell past his shoulders, almost the same length as his scraggly beard. But it was his eyes that reflected years of torment, loneliness, and a bare sliver of hope.
“Don’t forget me. Save me.” His voice was rough from unuse. As if he’d been sleeping for years and just woke.
And if what I’d already seen wasn’t horror enough, a ghostly figure hovered in the corner. It faded in and out. At first, it was nothing more than a white outline, then as its features filled in, it turned to full color.
It was a woman.
