Page 1 of Betrayed in Blood
ChapterOne
Madrid,Spain - Present Day
Beads of sweatdampened my brow and the edges of my cream-colored sundress. The sangria worked its magic in cooling me down and contributed to my not giving a damn how wilted I looked. I glanced across the table of the sidewalk cafe where Devon Trelane lounged. He wore crisp linen pants and a long-sleeved shirt rolled up to mid-forearm and unbuttoned enough for me to get a decent look at his chest.
A new fact I’d learned was that a vamp’s body temperature self-regulated in most climates. It had something to do with the magic of their blood. They would suffer the same as humans in extreme temps, but in this earlier-than-usual heat wave, he looked as fresh as a GQ model, his hair pristine and not one ounce of visible sweat.
“We could go back to the hotel and enjoy the refreshing view of the city from inside our air-conditioned suite.” He wouldn’t go for it without some encouragement, so I batted my eyes suggestively, but he just stared off into the distance, his mirrored sunglasses masking his thoughts.
He turned his aviator glasses on me. “I’d like to visit the National Archaeological Museum.”
“Really? After all that time at the Renaud Library?”
“It has an impressive collection of ancient artifacts from the human royal families dating back centuries.” When I didn’t look persuaded, he added, “It’s air-conditioned.”
He knew me too well. I sucked down the rest of the sangria and stood. Perhaps a bit too fast; I swayed. “Let’s go.” I ignored the temporary double vision.
Devon was beside me in a nano-second, wrapping an arm around my waist. He felt my forehead. “You might have heat exhaustion.”
“Maybe I just drank the sangria too fast.”
“Your second sangria in extreme temperatures. You’re used to life on the coast. I should have been more thoughtful.”
I pulled him closer, my head falling back to stare up at him. “I might have miscalculated my ability to combine the two. But they were really tasty.”
He grinned. “Maybe returning to the hotel isn’t such a bad idea.”
“Oh, no. You passed on that invitation, mister. Besides, the museum is closer.” I ran a hand through his hair and pulled him down for a long, sensuous kiss, tongues colliding, promises made. “But, if you swear we’ll only walk around the exhibits once, there might be a solid chance of spending the rest of the day in bed.”
After setting a floppy hat back on my head, he led me down the street, holding hands. Who thought a vamp would hold hands in public? Well, maybe Lucas. Ginger had that vamp wrapped around her little finger.
“The first walk around the Renaud library was to rule out suspicious vampires, while the second was to peruse the collection.”
“And confirm theDe første dagewas out for restoration like at all the other libraries.”
“Exactly. Since you’ve been so good at allowing me a day of my favorite places, how about dinner with exquisite cuisine and a rooftop view? Candlelight, good wine?—”
“Master Trelane.”
Devon tensed, and all talk of a romantic dinner evaporated. We turned around, splitting apart for a more defensible position.
I smiled when I spotted the blond-haired vamp, who stood a few feet away, his hands held out to show he didn’t have a weapon. Devon, on the other hand, was expressionless at the unexpected intrusion.
The vamp had an easy smile that could charm the pants off anyone—male or female. He glanced at the building behind us. “The Museo Arqueológico Nacional.” Erik, who always seemed to take the lead over his brother in striking up a conversation, pointed at the building. “A fine selection for an afternoon of leisure. And to see La Dama de Elche is worth the trip to Madrid alone.”
Devon didn’t respond, and when he bent to the right to look beyond the Oslo twin, I followed his line of sight. If there was one, the other had to be close.
And there he was. Ulrik leaned against a midnight-blue Rolls Royce limo. His smile was broad, and he wasn’t looking at Devon or his brother. His smile was for me, and I waved.
Devon glanced at me, and though this face was expressionless with those damn sunglasses still concealing his eyes, I could only assume that he was mentally shaking his head. I put my arm down, but it was difficult to hold back the grin.
These were friends. Weren’t they?
Devon turned his attention back to Erik. “I have a feeling I won’t be seeing La Dama de Elche today.”
“Sad but true. It’s unfortunate. Perhaps on your way out of town. But Aramburu is a busy man, which is why we were late in collecting you.” He held an arm out toward the car. “If you would be so kind, we have a long drive to El Recinto.”
“Will we be remaining there as his guest?” Devon asked.
